I began work on this composition in 2019 when asked to write a slow movement for a 12-movement cycle for string quartet as part of the assessment for my Bachelor in Music at the Conservatorium of Music in Hobart. This work was given the name The Hedberg Cycle, the musical scale for which to be derived from the letters of the name “Hedberg”:
H - E - D - B - E - r - G, with ‘H’ taken from the German for ‘B’.

The first and second movements were composed in the following year with the completed work later chosen by the Flinders String Quartet to be workshopped and performed in their Composer Development Program, 2020. The workshops began on the 4th of November, 2020 and the work premiered in a live-stream event on YouTube and Facebook, 14th of November, 2020.

The first movement was written just before the COVID-19 lockdowns and the third was completed during the early stages of the lockdown, reflecting some of the frustration, tension and anxiety experienced as a student during this time. I felt the third movement needed a strong opening and therefore chose a chorale-like section that at the end is more resolute. This movement feels quite personal to me and is my favourite of the three.

Downloadable sample pages found at the link here.

Instrumentation: String Quartet