A List of Compositions by Louise Denson

Works for Piano and Soprano Voice

Cooktown Cantata: Songs of Love, Place and Identity (2019/2021)

Libretto & Creative Direction - Jan Black
50-min work for soprano, baritone and tenor voice, piano, acoustic bass, cello, viola and 2 multi-wind players.
   Still the Mystery Exists
   Me Father Gave Me an Acre of Land
   In the Name of Science
   Flower of Cooktown
   Reflection
   The Picnic
   My River
   Journey into Country
   The Land Beyond Beyond

Monsoon Time (2020)
Setting of a poem by Elvira Davis for SATB choir.

Fragment 40 (2016)

Settings of poems by American symbolist poet Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) (1886 – 1961).

Keep Love

Could Eros be Kept?

Love is Bitter and Sweet

I Had Thought Myself Frail

What Need?

Time (2015)

Settings of poems by Australian multi-instrumentalist John Stefulj (b.

Always There

What is There Wasn’t There Once It is to Have Never Been

It Is Now

Desire (2015)

Lyrics by Louise Denson, based on the writings of diarist Anaïs Nin (1903 – 1977)

Distant Land

Dream 1

Dream 2

Joy

One Desire

Four Songs for Piano and Soprano (2013)

Settings of poems by French poet/translator Denis Supersac (b. 1961)

Son parfum

Quand le soleil s’éteint

Frémit mon coeur

La lune

Non-jazz instrumental compositions

Une évolution (2021)

Five pieces for solo piano

Tipping Point (2021)
For two cellos

Salt and Light (2020)
For clarinet and piano

Violet is a State of Mind (2020)
Piano solo. In K. Zhukov (Ed.). Australian Women Composers’ Piano Anthology Vol. 3. Woolongong: Wirripang Pty. Ltd.

Illuminatio (1998/2019)
Piano solo. In K. Zhukov (Ed.). Australian Women Composers’ Piano Anthology Vol. 2. Woolongong: Wirripang Pty. Ltd.

Mill Life (2018)
For 14 pianos and percussion. Site specific work for the Piano Mill, curated by Erik Griswold & Vanessa Tomlinson.

Two Boleros (arrs. 2007/2016)

Arrangements for piano trio of Soñando de tí and Contemplación

Resolve (2014)

For piano, drums, acoustic bass, bass clarinet, cello and violin

Fisherman Islands (2013)

Vignette inspired by the poetry of Samuel Wagan Watson: Smoke Encrypted Whispers

For bassoon, bass clarinet, horn in F, oboe, piano and soprano voice.

Quatre vinaigrettes (1995)

Four short pieces for solo piano using 12–tone rows

Jazz, ‘Latin’ Jazz & Afro-Cuban compositions: Small Group arrangements (1989 – 2019)

* = recorded

Title	GENRE/STYle	Instrumentation
*All I Know (Lyrics – Elly Hoyt)	Jazz Ballad ¾	Rhythm + Vox
And the Moonlight	Jazz Ballad	Piano Trio
Another Bolero	Bolero	Piano Trio
*Another Cup	Afro 6/8 - fast salsa	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
A Yearning	Jazz Ballad	Piano Trio
Balance	Str 5/4	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Bolerito	Bolero	Rhythm + Flugelhorn
Bolero 17	Bolero	Piano Trio
*Bolero for Wendy	Bolero	Rhythm + Clarinet
Bright Spot	Str 8, open improv sections	Piano Trio
Brillante esta la luna (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	2:3 salsa	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Cha Cha Che	Cha cha cha	Rhythm + Flute
*Cheek	Swing	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Clean Start	Boogaloo	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Contemplación	Bolero	Piano Trio
*Colours of Your Love (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Jazz Ballad	Rhythm + Vox
Como escondír mi pena? (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Pambiche	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Cut and Dried	Blues, hard bop	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Dark Side, The	3:2 salsa	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Decir y hacer (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Tango/bolero	Piano Trio
Finding	Str 8	Piano Trio
*First Love (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Bolero	Piano Trio
*Flame Tree	Cha cha cha	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox
Flora australiae	3 mvt suite	Big band + wind soloist
*Frangipani	Bolero	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
From the Other Side	Jazz Ballad	Piano Trio
*Gone too Soon (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Str 8 moody	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox
*Green Tristano	Hard bop	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Hear Me! (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Afro 6/8	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox
Here We Are (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Swing, up tempo	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
He Said, She Said (Lyrics - L. Denson)	Samba	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
Hot Mambo Descarga (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	2:3 salsa	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox
*I Don’t Smoke (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Bebop contrafact	Rhythm + Bb or Eb + Vox
*I’ll Ask You One More Time (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Cha cha cha/songo	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox
Illuminatio	Jazz waltz	Piano Trio
*Ineffable	Str 8	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*In the Morning (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Bossa nova	Rhythm + Vox + Flute
*Itty Bitty Boogaloo	Boogaloo	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*L’angoisse, qu’est-ce?	Post bop	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
L’armonia (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	2:3 salsa	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Lately	Str 8, moody	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Life Itself	Samba	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Light of the Heart	Jazz Ballad	Piano Trio
*Lonely Wing (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Jazz Ballad	Rhythm + Vox
*Lost my Heart (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Bossa nova	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
*Low Moon	Str 8, moody	Piano Trio
Maga et Manu	Str 8, moody	Piano Trio
*Maré de Agosto	Samba	Rhythm + Eb horn
*Maybe Tomorrow (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Jazz Waltz	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
Means to an End	Str 8, moody	Piano Trio
*Mercurio	3:2 salsa	Rhythm + 2 horns
Moving On	Swing, up tempo	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
New Sunrise	Str 8	Piano Trio
New Waltz	Jazz Waltz	Piano Trio
Nigerian Daydream	Latin/swing	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Not This Time (Lyrics – Denson/James)	Blues, Funk	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
Nova Nova	Bossa nova	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Now You Are Gone	Bolero	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Oath	Slow, chorale	Rhythm + Vox
*Oblique Angle	Swing, up tempo	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Oh, by the way	Jazz waltz	Piano Trio
*On the Level	Str 8, 7/4 blues	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor or Alto
On the Way (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Jazz Ballad	Rhythm + Vox
*Out of My Way!	Samba	Saxophone orchestra
Paperchase	Str 8	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Parting	Str 8	Piano Trio
*Pondside	Jazz Waltz	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Prevailing Wisterly	Jazz Waltz	Piano Trio
Running Creek	Str 8	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
*Sambacita	Samba	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Samba Lucia	Samba	Piano Trio or Bb or Eb
*Sanctuary	Jazz Waltz	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Seamless Sea	Bossa nova	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
Second Step	Str 8, moody	Piano Trio
Serious Undertaking	Jazz waltz	Piano Trio or Bb or Eb
Si te quiero (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Bachata	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor
Slow Down (Lyrics –James/Denson)	Blues, slow or funky	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
Smarten Up	2:3 salsa	Piano Trio
*Soñando de tí	Bolero	Rhythm + Flugelhorn
Souvenir de Montréal	Jazz Waltz	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Sparring, Sparing	2:3 salsa	Rhythm + Eb
Star of	Str 8	Piano solo
Suddenly the Sun Went Down	Str 8, slow	Piano Trio
Switchback	Str 8, up	Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor or Alto
Temporary Insamity	Str 8, 12/8	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
Think Twice (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Samba	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
*Time to be (Lyrics – Denson/James)	Choro/bossa	Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox
Unexpected, The	Jazz Waltz	Piano Trio
*Upstart	Blues, med	Rhythm + Bb or Eb
*Wild December Wind (Lyrics – Ingrid James)	Bossa nova	Rhythm + Vox
Wind	Bossa nova	Rhythm + Gtr + Vibes; or Bb or Eb
You Said (Lyrics - Louise Denson)	Swing, up tempo	Rhythm + Bb and Eb, or Vox

Arrangements for jazz/classical nonet (voice, piano, drums, acoustic bass, tenor saxophone, trumpet/flugelhorn, violin, viola, cello)

# = Originals listed above

Constant Craving (Lang/Mink)

Gnossienne No. 1 (Satie)

#Gone Too Soon

If You Could Read My Mind (Lightfoot)

It’s Too Late (King)

Logical Song (Hodgson)

#Maybe Tomorrow

Out of Season (Sherlock/Denson)

Russian Lullaby/Old Country (Berlin/Adderley)

San Francisco River (Moreira/Purim)

#Switchback

The Hope (Purim)

#Think Twice

#Time to Be

Trajectoire (Tcholakian/James)

#Wild December Wind

Arrangements for jazz/classical septet (voice, piano, drums, acoustic bass, violin, viola, cello)

# = Originals listed above

#Colours of Your Love

#First Love

#On the Way

Tristeza de amar (Vandré/Roberto)

Arrangements for big band

# = Originals listed above

#Flora Australiae – Eucalyptus regnans, Ozothmnus ledifolius, Bougainvillea glabra

(Commissioned by multi-wind instrumentalist Diana Tolmie)

#Another Cup

#Bolerito

#Bolero for Wendy

#Cha Cha Che

#Decir y hacer

#Flame Tree

Gnossienne No. 1 (Satie)

#I Don’t Smoke

#I’ll Ask You One More Time

#Life Itself

#Mercurio

Son of Northland (Finnish trad.)

#I Don’t Smoke

Rent-a-Crowd (Green)

#Sparring, Sparing

#Wild December Wind

Arrangements for saxophone quartet

# = Originals listed above

#Green Tristano

#Pondside

#Star of

Arrangements for saxophone orchestra

# = Originals listed above

#Bougainvillea glabra

#Out of My Way!

#Wild December Wind