ABSTRACT
Chapter Two commences the documentation and analysis of Australian contemporary percussion activity in the context of major international developments in the genre and a changing local cultural climate. Brief flares of activity in the years either side of 1970 (by Jean-Charles François and Keith Humble) offered glimpses into European contemporary percussion practices of the time, foreshadowing future activity. Australian contemporary percussion activity began in the early 1970s, when Melbourne emerged as the centre of nascent contemporary percussion activity in Australia through the pioneering activities of the Australian Percussion Ensemble (1972–1977). The contributions of this vital yet largely forgotten ensemble are documented and examined here for the first time. Although the Australian Percussion Ensemble (APE), by virtue of their instrumentation, focussed on new works that included percussion, the group’s artistic interests covered a broader spectrum including mixed instrumental chamber music and interdisciplinary collaborations, with an emphasis on engagement with Australian music. Prior to the 1970s, a pervasive cultural cringe saw very few ensembles champion Australian repertoire. Thus, the APE’s activities in the 1970s offer an insight into the changing Australian musical landscape during this period. The APE was prolific during the years it was operational, commissioning 26 Australian works, and a complete list of this repertoire is included herein. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of experimental approaches post-2000 that continued the trajectory of growth commenced in the 1970s, particularly in the work of Speak Percussion.
