Barney McAll (feat. Monash Art Ensemble) - Zephyrix (2018)

I was commissioned by the Monash Art Ensemble to compose this piece during my residency at the Peggy Glanville-Hicks composer house in 2015. Whilst there, I had flashes of an image... half man, half bird with one large wing on its right side, dressed in business attire.

Following the abstract advice of this image I decided to fuse the Greek God Zephyr with the mythical Phoenix to create a new beast; the Zephyrix. It’s a hybrid creature which, for me, symbolizes the bridging of tensions that occur between our mundane struggles and the evils of life, and the liberating creative expression of our true selves.

Zephyrix is the musical embodiment of that tension, encapsulating both the strain and release of this dichotomy. It seeks to explore the dialectic between struggle and serenity, and illuminate the myriad of unseen colors, tones and potentials that are held within a new and ever-emerging mind (Metanoia).

The five birds of Alchemy and transformation have been invoked to summon the Zephyrix: Black Crow, White Swan, Peacock, Pelican and Phoenix. They are the sign posts that guide us on our journey toward true serenity and real happiness.

This is an anthem to the vision, virtue and irony that is the eternal nature of change. - Barney McAll