James Gardner's crack contemporary ensemble, 175 East, launched its Sunday concert with an act of musical alchemy as the ever-resourceful Andrew Uren channelled a drum kit through bass clarinet in Patrick Shepherd's punchy solo, Lick.
Later on, the Christchurch composer's Chamber Concerto gave all six players the chance
to shine. A multitude of shifting rhythms registered with the clarity that expertise ensures and, mid-work, an expressive dialogue between Richard Haynes' E flat clarinet and Ingrid Culliford's alto flute touched on the transcendent.
A title like eran volumen terrenal, sonida might be daunting to the uninitiated but, despite its cerebral thesis and moments where intensity slackened, John Croft dealt out frissons when his little sonic explosions flared into juicy, beckoning seventh chords.
How refreshing to find a composer with an impish sense of humour. Young Wellingtonian Alexandra Hay sends up pretentious programme notes in her few words for Part/s, but still reveals that her clarinet duet was written "in the cause of beauty and unity in separation".
Richard Haynes and Uren took up Hay's cause with consummate artistry, making their way from gently throbbing dissonance to rippling unison toccata and closing lines that seemed to penetrate the very act of breathing itself.
Vers libre, a 2002 score by fellow-Wellingtonian Chris Watson, shared Hay's sense of naturalness, centred around Dylan Lardelli's liquid guitar tones.
Esplorazione del bianco II by that elder statesman of the Italian avant-garde, Salvatore Sciarrino, offered the voice of experience in the matter of making the unusual seem inevitable.
Perfectly situated in the programme, Esplorazione followed the hushed prelude of Tim Bowman's picnic at limbo ledge, a score of pithy, questioning fragments that showcased the finesse of the performers.
Gardner was obviously intent on a grand slam finale and it came with Ann Cleare's To Exit, Press the Green Button.
Ingeniously, the Irish composer encompassed everything from brushed and blurred sonorities to signing off with savage, whooping crescendos.
"Hit the bottom with a thump" was Cleare's final directive to her players; 175 East did just that, ending the concert in triumph.
