Overland Track
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Wind Band |
- Tanglefoot
- The Bluff*
- Cold morning*
- Today is Mountain Day*
- Thoughts by the way*
- Platypus*
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Six days in the Tasmanian wilderness
This music comes from sketches I made while hiking the Overland Track with my brother in 2016. It has been growing in my mind for many years... Program note:
In April 2016 my brother and I hiked the Overland Track, a 65-kilometre trek over mountainous terrain in the middle of the Tasmanian wilderness. This is the beginning of a piece of music that I’ve been wanting to write ever since.
'Tanglefoot' depicts our first day on the trail. The title refers to one of the common names of the deciduous beech (Nothofagus gunnii), which has very twisty roots and is abundant in that area. It is Australia’s only native winter deciduous tree, and when I was there the trees were just on the verge of dropping their beautiful golden leaves. The title also alludes to the pervasive sound of footsteps. The rhythm of walking turned into a kind of march in my head; not a regular march with 16-bar phrases all the way and whistle-able tunes – it’s not that kind of landscape. More of a subdued, reflective march, taking in the rugged beauty all around. Most of the journey is uphill, through grassland and rainforest, past waterfalls and tarns, and then clambering (much more slowly) up some rocks to Marions Lookout. This is where we finally get a decent hearing of the ‘theme’ given by the horns at the outset. Then it’s across an alpine plateau and up the track to Cradle Mountain Summit. The clouds descend and there’s no panoramic view up there – just eerie whiteness all around. Finally we descend quietly to the campsite at Waterfall Valley. © David John Lang 2022 |
This is music is incomplete, but is available to
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