Abstract
A simple evocation of early dawn at the seaside village of Purakaunui, near Dunedin in New Zealand.
In amongst a soft dawn chorus a bellbird motif rings out clearly, and is echoed around the bay. Following a silence, the bird motif is inverted, and the music becomes introspective in character, with long, singing lines on both violin and clarinet. The birdcall returns in the coda.
;Purakaunui at Dawn; was composed for Anna McGregor and Dalecarlia, a quintet based in Sweden, for their 2014 tour of New Zealand. It has been recording by Atoll Records on the CD 'Fjärran,' which won 'best classical recording' in the 2016 New Zealand Music Awards.
This composition was supported by The University of Otago.