William Joseph Cavendish (1789-1839); Fairy quadrilles and waltzes (Sydney, 1833); first modern performance; Neal Peres Da Costa (pianoforte), Annie Gard (violin), Daniel Yeadon (violoncello); Elizabeth Bay House, Sydney, 27 February 2022

Abstract

Movements: [1] Pantalon (Radoma); [2] L’Été (Betanimena); [3] Poule (Kurry Jong); [4] Pastourelle (Woo-loo-moo-loo) [sic]; [5] Finale (Matitanana); [6] Waltz No. 1; [7] Waltz No. 2. Until he tragically drowned in Sydney Harbour during the annual regatta on 26 January 1839, Cavendish was a popular local teacher of music and dance, and a cellist and pianist in the theatre band. On first arriving in Sydney from London via Mauritius in 1833, he composed this set of music for ballroom dances, including two quadrilles with local Aboriginal titles, Woo-loo-moo-loo [sic] and Kurry Jong. The original 1833 manuscript of the music, along with Cavendish’s covering letter, sent from Sydney to his wife in London (now at the State Library of New South Wales), can be seen here: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/235977419 (TROVE record); https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/1kVdqqxn/VadJlPQdNpQg (music - DIGITISED); https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/1kVdqqxn/8O2RmKAm42VPP (covering letter - DIGITISED). For more on Cavendish, see here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/paradisec/australharmony/cavendish-william-joseph.php