classikON Review: Robert McIntyre presents a striking compositional voice in Our Duty to Care, by Molly Jenkins
Robert McIntyre and Changing Wilds Ensemble | Our Duty to Care | August 1, 2025, Melbourne Recital Centre, VIC - link
After a debut performance in April 2023, Robert McIntyre’s Our Duty to Care has quickly reached its third instalment. Taking place inside the exquisite Primrose Potter Salon at Melbourne Recital Centre, the titular song-cycle was amongst a programme of modern works by Ólafur Arnalds, Nat Bartsch, Laura Abraham and Anne Cawrse, telling stories of hope, longing and loss, carefully stitched into music. This thoughtfully curated evening was performed by differing combinations of the “Changing Wilds Ensemble;” Bridgette Kelsey (Soprano), Isabel Hede (Violin), Gemma Kneale (Cello), Georgina Lewis (Piano) and McIntyre himself on flute and piano.
While McIntyre has an extensive catalogue of compositions varying in instrumentation and subject, it was clear he had a statement to make this evening. All three of his compositions, that were dispersed throughout the programme, paid a unique homage to the environment and the urgent need for action in the face of the climate-crisis. The concert began with one of McIntyre’s earliest vocal works, A Sea Spray of Ash. This piece has benefited from being included in all three instalments of Our Duty to Care, with an assured interpretation from Kelsey that was well-balanced by a minimalist piano-part (played by McIntyre). The second climate-themed work, Every third dawn, emerged in the middle of the concert. McIntyre (on flute this time), joined by Kelsey (soprano) and Lewis (piano), drew upon Greek mythology for a re-telling of the Persephone myth through the lens of climate inaction. The unique instrumentation created multiple sublime moments, where the sound of the flute and voice melted into one, before arriving at a dramatic finish.
After a powerful reading by the poet herself, Savanna Wegman’s ‘Prophecy, as a fire comes’ (commissioned to inspire the structuring of the song-cycle), the programme reached McIntyre’s final sharing of the night, Our Duty to Care. Based on the legal case Sharma v Minister for the Environment, “Changing Wilds Ensemble” gave an enchanting performance of this significant work. Lewis captured the darkness of the opening passages perfectly, immediately being complimented by the skilled playing of both Kneale (cello) and Hede (violin). The intimate yet lively acoustic of the space allowed for the glissandi and extended techniques in the strings to reach a full and vibrant effect. The entire ensemble gave a truly committed performance, with Kelsey especially showcasing the control she has over her voice, moving with ease between moments of power and delicacy.
Intertwined throughout, the audience were able to relax into the sound world of Bartsch’s Homecoming for piano trio and Cawrse’s Time’s long ruin for solo piano, with poignant and eloquent descriptions from both McIntyre and Lewis bringing welcome clarity to the listening experience. Abraham’s duet for flute and piano, a hazy memory, captured the true essence of chamber music. A conversation unfolded between the two instruments, with the flute (played by McIntyre) adding depth of colour to Lewis’ heartfelt rendition.
Perhaps the most intriguing and unexpected inclusion were arrangements of Arnalds’ Particles, The Bottom Line, And we’ll leave it there… for piano trio and voice. These three offerings were peppered throughout the programme, with Kelsey making a seamless shift to a dreamy contemporary style (and returning just as quickly to an operatic soprano) whenever necessary. The addition of the microphone for these three songs allowed Kelsey’s voice to envelop the entire space and remain balanced with the thick layer of lush strings underneath her. McIntyre’s choice to highlight fellow composer’s musical musings on life alongside his own led to a balanced curation, while simultaneously amplifying the distinctive qualities of his increasingly recognisable and striking compositional voice.
