Listen to a concert performance of Ross Edwards's Flower Songs (1986-7), for 16-part choir, keyboard, and percussion, conducted by Andrew Pink, performed on 21 March 1992 by the 17-voice St Pancras Singers at St John's Wood Church, London NW8.
The composer writes: Flower Songs is a choral maninya (dance/chant). Its text consists of the scientific names (in Latin and ancient Greek) of a selection of central eastern Australian wild flowers, and is characterised by modified repetition of rhythmic patterns centered on drones - a sort of hypnotic incantation.
Note: In this performance we chose to use just one percussionist ... another time we'd use two!
