A Short Hour Unseen: Songs, Dances, and Elegies for String Orchestra

The UQ Pulse Chamber Orchestra brings together string performance students from The University of Queensland School of Music. Directed by Doretta Balkizas and Patrick Murphy, Pulse performs without a conductor, relying on deep listening, shared artistic leadership, and dynamic chamber communication to bring each work to life.

The program brings together distinct voices across three centuries, connected by lyrical beauty, dance, and deep emotional resonance. Opening with John Rutter’s energetic Suite for String Orchestra, the program weaves beloved British folk melodies into crisp, rhythmic movements. Jean Sibelius’ Rakastava ("The Lover") offers a delicate, impressionistic narrative of love and devotion, while Brisbane composer Robert Davidson’s Elegy (from String Quartet: A short hour unseen) provides a moving, contemplative reflection on memory and loss. The concert culminates in Edvard Grieg’s celebrated Holberg Suite, honouring 18th-century courtly dance forms through a rich 19th-century Romantic lens.