for flute and piano (1990)
score available from
Wise Music
program note
Escape Stairs was written for and is dedicated to Melbourne flautist, Helen Williams. Cast in two movements, the first features minimalist patterns in the piano while the flute plays unsynchronised in different metre and tempo, creating a dreamy, disconnected atmosphere. The second movement is more of a whirlwind – tightly synchronised with metric modulations and dramatic contrasts. The coda features a fleeting return to the theme from the opening movement. The premiere performance was given by Helen Williams and Clare Clements on 8 November 1990 at the Victorian College of the Arts.