Gifford, Helen (Margaret)

Gifford, Helen (Margaret), Australian composer; b. Hawthorn, Victoria, Sept, 5, 1935. She studied with Roy Shepherd (piano) and Dorian Le Gallienne (harmony) at the Univ. of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Mus.Bac., 1958). From 1970 to 1982 she was active as a composer for the Melbourne Theatre Co. In 1974 was also composer-in-residence of the Australian Opera in Sydney.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : Jo Being (1974); Regarding Faustus (1983); Iphigenia in Exile (1985). S t a g e : Inci-dental music to plays. ORCH.: Phantasma for Strings (1963); Chimaera (1967); Canzone: Hommage to Stravinsky for Chamber Orch. (1968); Imperium (1969); On Reflection for 2 Violins and String Orch. (1972). CHAMBER: Fantasy for Flute and Piano (1958); Septet for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Harpsichord, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1962); Skiagram for Flute, Viola, and Vibra-phone (1963); Lyric for Flute, Clarinet, and Cello (1964); String Quartet (1965); Sonnet for Flute, Guitar, and Harpsichord (1969); Of Old Angkor for Horn and Marimba (1970); Company of Brass for 9 Brass Instruments (1972); Play for 10 Instruments (1979); Time and Time Again for 6 Instruments (1981); Going South for 2 Trumpets, Horn, and 2 Trombones (1987); A Plaint for Lost Worlds for Piccolo, Clarinet, and Piano (1994). Piano : Sonata (1960); Catalysis (1964); Cantillation (1966); The Spell (1966); Souvenence (1973); Toccato attacco (1990). VOCAL: The Wanderer for Male Speaker and Ensemble (1962); The Glass Castle for Soprano and Women’s Chorus (1968); Bird Calls from an Old Land for 5 Sopranos and Women’s Chorus (1971); Images for Christmas for Speaker and Ensemble (1973); Foretold at Delphi for Soprano, Piccolo, Oboe, Arab Drum, and Pre- recorded Crum-horn (1978); Music for the Adonia for Soprano and 8 Instruments (1993); Point of Ignition for Voice and Orch. (1995).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire