Compositions

Tree of Glass for flute, clarinet and string quartet (1999) 

Inspired by the poem ‘Polly’s Tree’ by Sylvia Plath.  Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Dimensions for string quartet (1999) in three movements:  Song, Waltz and Tango

Third movement Tango performed at the Canberra National Festival of Women’s Music (2001). Duration: 13’. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Bunch of Fives for percussion (2000)

For flute, clarinet, viola, double bass, pianoforte, vibraphone, marimba, bongos, tom toms, tenor drum, bass drum Percussion, suspended cymbal, gong, crotales.   The piece is centred around notes either an augmented or diminished 5th apart, with the content rhythmically organised. Performed in Perth at the Totally Huge New Music Festival in 2001 by students from WAAPA, and with Adam Pinto on piano and Lindsay Vickery conducting. Duration: 12’ . Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Night Dances for Bflat clarinet and violoncello (2001) 

First performed by Lindsay Vickery (Clarinet) and Melanie Robinson (Violincello) at Hear Now Concert, UWA (2002). Recorded at UWA in the Callaway Auditorium by Sound Mine(2009) with performers Ashley Smith (Clarinet) and Melanie Robinson. First performed at the Canberra National Festival of Women’s Music (2001). Broadcast by ABC-FM radio – program New Music Australia, 2-Apr-2003. Duration: 5’ 22”. Availability: score and CD

https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/workversion/o-connor-jennifer-night-dances/14685

Night Shift for orchestra (2002) 

Orchestral piece derived from the composition Night Dances. For piccolo, flute, oboe, Bflat clarinet, Bflat bass clarinet, bassoon, Horns 1 & 2, trumpet 1 & 2, tenor trombones 1 & 2, harp, percussion (vibraphone, triangle, timpani, marimba, glockenspiel, celesta and snare drum). Duration: 10’ 51”. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Notes from a Reedy Pond: Five Bagatelles (2006) for wind instruments in Five Movements

For flute, oboe, B flat clarinet, B flat bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon. Performance by Michael Way flute, Stephanie Nicholls oboe; Catherine Cahill clarinet, Jacqueline Coolican bass clarinet and Jo Brown bassoon at Callaway Auditorium, UWA.  Recorded by Lee Buddle, Sound Mine. Duration: 8’ 50”. Availability: score and CD

https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/workversion/o-connor-jennifer-notes-from-a-reedy-pond/15880 

Carries the Sun, Carries the Moon, Keeps Nothing (2008)

For chamber orchestra: horn in F, oboe, bflat clarinet, bassoon, violin 1, viola, cellos I and 2 (2008). Based on the words I discovered near an old house in Wiltshire, UK:  a bench beside a fast flowing stream bore the words of the title of the work. Duration: 14’ 22”. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Tootle for Two  FOR CHILDREN (2008) 

For trumpet B flat trumpet and horn in F. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Elegy (2009) for 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos

Written for my sister Elizabeth’s funeral service.  Studio recording by Zac Rowntree violin, Helen Tuckey viola, Eve Silver violoncello 1 and Sasha McCulloch violoncello 2. Recording by Lee Buddle, Sound Mine. Duration: 5’ 6”. Availability: score and CD available from the Australian Music Centre –

http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/product/id/20596

Fantasia for Feathers and Fur (2010) for piano

Whimsical piece visualising a ‘friendship’ between a cat and a canary which ends badly. Written for competition ‘Momentary Pleasures’ run by the Australian Music Centre – coordinated by Philippa Horn. Currently under revision for clarinet and piano. Duration: 1’ 41”. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Wedding Song for violin and viola (2010)

Composed for daughter Frances’ garden wedding. Performed by Johanna Coates violin; Helen Tuckey viola. Duration: 2’. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Dances (2010) for Clarinet in B flat and three Koto

Competition piece for 21st Century Japanese Music Project. Duration: 7’ 46”. Availability: score and Sibelius recording

Anharmonicity  (2011) 

A quintet consisting of a string quartet and trumpet. Written for a competition organised by Aberdeen University. A performance piece: the string players involved in the performance were not impressed when told that a trumpet would make up the quintet.  They felt strongly that a trumpet was an inappropriate instrument to accompany string instruments because of their tonal qualities.  As they had been hired in advance, they had no choice in the matter.  So the performance duly went ahead.  As the score shows, there was trouble from the start, and it became a battle of wills, rushing towards an inevitable conflagration. This composition received a letter of commendation from Aberdeen University. Duration: 6’ 48””. Availability: score and Sibelius generated CD

Rondo Capriccio (2012) for piano

Written for a competition conducted by the Australian National University, the rules requiring the piece to be based on Chopin’s Prelude Op. 28 No. 2, with the winner having the piece played by the Chopin Piano Competition competitors. Duration: 6’. Availability: score and CD

Tango for Piano (2012)

‘One Minute of Fame’ competition by Douglas Da Silva, New York requiring a playing duration no longer than one minute. Duration: 1’. Availability: score and Sibelius generated CD

Continental Drift (2013) 

Commissioned composition for a wedding on Green Island, Queensland.  Theme: inspired by the couple’s lives in Australia and Africa. Computer generated music for flute, drum set, gankokwe, kidi, udu, claves, harp, pianoforte, synthesiser, acoustic guitar, 4-string bass guitar, electric guitar, choir, SATB, violin 1, violin 2, viola, violoncello, double bass, didgeridoo and percussion. Duration: 6’ 35”. Availability: score and Sibelius generated CD

THREE for Four (2018) for saxophone quartet

Composed for Meraki Saxophone Quartet https://www.facebook.com/merakisaxophonequartet/. Performed at Paper Mountain Gallery (Perth), 20-May-2018.