for flute and piano (2008)
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score available from
Wise Music
program note
Life in a Day was originally commissioned by Riley Lee for the 2008 World Shakuhachi Festival (Sydney), with assistance from the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. The original version (for shakuhachi and harp) exploits the natural tuning of the shakuhachi but also seeks to re–contextualise its cultural association through the influence of contemporary jazz and lounge styles. In this version both flute and piano feature separately but are often closely interwoven. The music is at turns elated and introspective but ultimately assumes a sense of urgency as the end nears. The premiere recording was made by Lindsay Hicks and Max Kielly in 2025.
reviews
“Life in a Day was originally for shakuhachi and harp but is here given on flute and piano. The original combination must have been something special, allowing the special effects of which both instruments are capable. Here, it is an enjoyable, slightly poppy work coloured with some Japanese sounding moments. There is on YouTube another even jazzier version for marimba and saxophone.”
Paul RW Jackson, MusicWeb International (UK), August 2026