Nemesi (unaccompanied choir)

Commissioned by 2011-2012 New Zealand Secondary Students Choir with funding from Creative New Zealand, Nemesi was premiered The New Zealand Secondary Students Choir (NZSSC) and Andrew Withington (musical director) at the Sacred Heart Cathedral of Wellington, New Zealand on 14 April, 2012.

Nemesi is based on the Greek mythological character Nemesis, the goddess of indignation against, and retribution for, evil deeds and undeserved good fortune. Nemesis' duty is to direct human affairs in such a way as to maintain equilibrium.

This seven-minute work incorporates body percussion within the SATB choir to produce a complex rhythmic blend of voice and body percussive soundworld. Passages of interlocking and layered voices, continuously changing time signatures, along with homophonic writing are offset by the syncopated sounds of body percussion to propel the music forward, producing an innovative and dynamic work.

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