PETER RANKINE

Rankine’s musical journey began with pre-dawn birdsong on the Tully River, Northern Queensland, when the beauty of sound transcended even the beauty of the light. This early attraction to the world of sound has continued and is his medium of choice in his response to life and its mysteries.
He has fulfilled over forty commissions locally, nationally and abroad. Two works were showcased in Musica Nova, 1990 and both won Sounds Australian Critics’ Awards. Andrew Ford wrote in 24 Hours (May 1992), “On the strength of this gutsy piece [From Fire By Fire] I want to hear more. Rankine’s is a most convincing score ... he has a mature voice and knows what he wants”. In 2003 Time and the Bell was concerto of choice for Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Richard Haynes. Highest endorsement is from musicians — professional and amateur — who have commissioned and performed his work.

His orchestral music includes Symphonia Dialectica and Celtic Cross, fruits of residencies with the Queensland Youth Orchestra. The former opened the International Festival of Youth Orchestras in 1988, and the latter was premiered in 1990 with Graeme Jennings as violin soloist. John Curro directed both. Inspired by poetry of Michael Leunig, “And so the soul …” was premiered by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, directed by Markus Stenz, at Metropolis, 2004. Symphony Australia commissioned both it and Namaskar (for The Queensland Orchestra/Werner Andreas Albert in 2000).

Groups or soloists commissioned From Fire By Fire (Queensland Wind Soloists); Time and the Bell (Paul Dean and the ABC); Time and the Bell (chamber version, Perihelion); Towards the Still Point and Floyd’s Piece (Floyd Williams); Des Oiseaux et de la Danse (Yamaha/QCM); John Brown Dreaming (Philip Mayers and Anna Carewe); Salute to the Risen Son (Christopher Wrench); Surya Namaskar, Chaand Namaskar for prepared piano (Stephen Emmerson); Reflets de la MER (Marion Rankine); Darkroom (Southern Cross Soloists); and When the Heart (Wendy Dixon and David Miller – Grevillea Ensemble – with Michael Dixon).

For the theatre he composed John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat (1992 Out of the Box festival); the chamber opera Bunyip! (Opera Queensland); Surya Namaskar, Chaand Namaskar for horn and percussion (Eurythmist Jan Baker-Finch). Dance scores were composed for Expressions (Evening Dialogues) and Dance North (Please No More Palms!). Choral works include Media Vita (Emily Cox/Canticum), Te Deum (Cox/Anglicare for Prompraise), and When the Heart (Graeme Morton/St Peter’s Chorale).

While freelancing in the late 1980s and the 1990s, Peter lectured in music at the Queensland University of Technology, and from 2000-2008, taught music in secondary schools. In 2006 he began to invest in the possibilities of the recording studio, where much of his work now takes place. In this environment, he has produced recordings of music for a radio play (Upson Downs, 2007), and songs for conventional theatre (Turn it Around, and Sure of You for Game On!, directed by Rod Ainsworth, 2008). In 2008, he is living by a river, listening to birdsong, growing an orchard, raising ducks, and freelancing as composer, songwriter and recording engineer.

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