Seedling - violin and piano

Seedling originated from an adaptation of Katherine's earlier composition, “Bloom.” Originally composed for solo violin, “Bloom” was later arranged for horn trio for a performance by the Linus Ensemble and for piano trio for a performance by Trio Anima Mundi. The subject matter for the original solo violin piece was created while practicing the violin inside a lovely old church called St Linus’, which is hidden away in the back streets of Coburg North, Melbourne. The peaceful setting provided by the ambient warm sunlight shining through the stain glass windows of this quiet little church may have influenced the focus of “Bloom”. It explored different aspects of music (themes, motifs, tone colours) that not only evoked a feeling of beauty and pleasure but was also gratifying to perform. Subsequently, this solo violin piece provided the foundation for the interweaving music that was then developed for the horn trio and the piano trio.

Seven years later, an opportunity arose for a performance of this work featuring violin and piano, prompting the creation of another arrangement. However, as Katherine began writing this new arrangement, she sought greater simplicity, spaciousness, and serenity within the music, and so instead of adhering to its original format, Katherine instead chose to incorporate some of the original themes and musical passages from “Bloom” into a completely new composition. The title of this new piece, “Seedling,” was selected to signify its distinctiveness while also alluding to its connection with the music from “Bloom”.

Commission and Performance Information

Written for Rachel Williams (violin) and Melinda Seaw (piano) for a performance on 2nd October 2024 at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Victoria.

Cover art photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash