Emily Granger is principal harp with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 2023. A Thing of Beauty is Granger’s seventh album, and in keeping with her reputation for championing contemporary repertoire, consists entirely of compositions by 12 living Australian composers at various career stages.
It takes its name from the opening work, commissioned by Granger from Adelaide-based composer and cellist Hilary Kleinig, which somehow perfectly balances wistful introspection with gentle but irresistible propulsion and a melody to die for.
A Thing of Beauty made “everything click”, says Granger, consolidating her vision for an album that “is an invitation to pause” and “return to what matters most in times like these: simplicity, stillness, and unapologetic beauty”. These 16 works include a specially commissioned suite for harp (Alice Chance) and Granger’s own very successful transcriptions of piano works by Elena Kats-Chernin, Sally Greenaway and Sarah Elise Thompson.
Other works take inspiration from landscapes (Christina Sonnemann Baehr, Margaret Tesch-Muller), poetry (Anne Cawrse) and musical memory (Ulpia Erdos), while compositions by Tara Minton, Nat Bartsch and Katy Abbott were written for or about children.
It is a triumph of curation, arrangement and performance by Granger that this large quantity of short, disparate compositions is a seamless, satisfying and, yes, undeniably beautiful listening experience. Granger’s tonal depth and commanding technique are complemented by a warm, resonant recording from the ABC’s Brisbane Studios, which is simultaneously rich and clear.
Also praiseworthy are the thoughtful liner notes, which include an essay by Granger and annotations on their works by all featured composers.
Title: A Thing of Beauty
Works: Music by Kleinig, Chance, Sonnemann Baehr et al.
Performer: Emily Granger hp
Label: ABC CLASSIC ABCL0147
Comments
Log in to start the conversation.