Harpist Emily Granger opened the Melbourne concert launching her new album, A Thing of Beauty by inviting the audience to pause and be still; to eschew the pressures and complexity of the outside world and appreciate simple, unaffected beauty. To this end, Granger commissioned, selected and arranged music “that speaks directly to the heart”.

The launch concert featured world premieres of three commissioned works. In total, Granger performed works by 11 contemporary Australian women, several of which she arranged herself.

Emily’s Suite by Alice Chance was one of the premiered works. The spell-binding opening to Full of Wonder on the harp’s highest strings ensured – and rewarded – the audience’s stillness. In the next two movements, Ballad and Chorale, Chance exploited the distinctive tones of the lower registers. By the end it felt as Emily’s Suite had introduced both the beautiful instrument and the performer.

Emily Granger. Photo supplied

Anne Cawrse’s Come to me, based on the poem Echo by Christina Rosetti, was another specially commissioned work. Granger recited the poem before she played, setting the scene for Cawrse’s soulful, reflective interpretation of the poem.

Poetry was also the springboard for Karoola Seasons by Tasmanian harpist-composer Christina Sonnemann. Sonnemann used haiku by fellow Tasmanian Hilary Burden  to create four vivid sound pictures such as alpacas frolicking, and a wren skating on the frozen birdbath.

Interspersed between these poetic works were three pieces inspired by motherhood. Katy Abbott personally introduced Not Just Another Day (written for a friend’s baby), after which Granger played two soothing lullabies: Nat Bartsch’s Call and Response and Alby’s Lullaby by Tara Minton.

The concert ended with the world premiere of the ‘thing’ that crystallised the concept for this album: A Thing of Beauty by Adelaide-based composer Hilary Kleinig, especially written for Granger’s album. Kleinig’s musical miniatures depict her myriad encounters with beauty in daily life. A Thing of Beauty was aptly named: it featured a sparkling theme that seemed to rotate like a mobile, so that it sounded repeatedly – and  differently – as it passed by.

Each musical vignette on this program reflected the composer’s distinctive style and tone palette, showcasing the instrument’s fine tone and the performer’s versatility. The way Granger articulated her own aspirations and acknowledged her collaborators gave the audience a glimpse into the worlds the composers sought to evoke: the natural beauty in America (Sarah Elise Thompson and Margaret Tesch-Muller), reminiscences (Romanian-trained harpist Ulpia Erdos) and the poignancy of a loved one’s cognitive decline (Sally Greenaway). These personal touches added human interest to an already touching and inspiring musical experience.

Emily Granger presents A Thing of Beauty in the Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House on 13 July.