‘Oodnadatta Who is an entrancing work, unique and utterly gorgeous.’ Katharine Rawdon, former Principal flute, Lisbon Opera House Orchestra. 2020.
‘Your double playing method with voice, was truly surprising to hear. The pitch accuracy of your voice was beyond imagination.” Izumi Takeo, shakuhachi grand master, Kyoto 2019
‘Through shakuhachi, you expressed your unique outlook on the world magnificently. Your techniques for singing & blowing simultaneously were wonderful.’ Inayoshi Youzan, shakuhachi master, Kyoto. 2019
‘The sound [Anne] produced on shakuhachi was of a whole other dimension to that of Japan’s time-honoured instrument… with an occasionally whiff of progressive rock that smacked of Pink Floyd and Yes. It was the landscapes and scenes that attracted me most. The sound played by Anne Norman, an Australian, captured not only the ‘wabisabi’ and subtle sensibilities of Japan, but I also felt the strength of life and expanse of a vast land.’ Senō Kensuke, audience Yokohama 2019.
‘I was drawn into that sound… comforted, as though swimming through space. Anne Norman’s performance was truly startling! …Sounds that were made before remained in the ears and seemed to overlap with sounds that were made later. How can one do this alone? I thought it was mysterious. Her gentle atmosphere was impressive, and, combined with her strength of blowing, it was wonderful.’ Sakou Fumika, audience Yokohama 2019.
‘In addition to inheriting the traditional schools of shakuhachi, [Anne] employs her own means of contemporary practice… opening up the potential of the instrument… It was a concert that I feel I must introduce to all Japanese people.’ Suzuki Nobuyuki, audience Yokohama 2019.
‘Anne Norman performed her three original compositions with utmost mastery. Rain Now and Then showed a stream of beautiful melodies. Far Below incorporated alternating sections of spoken words and shakuhachi, supported by the deep and mellow sounds of the bass koto. In Moon in Water, the technique of incorporating voice while blowing the shakuhachi created a mesmerising experience: the voice within the music and the music within the voice… The spoken or sung poetry brought an extra-dimension to the musical experience.’ Le Tuan Hung, The Way of The Flower, Primrose Potter Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre, 27 February 2019
‘Anne Norman is one of Australia’s most adventurous artists.’ Therese Virtue, Director of The Boite & presenter of Music Sans Frontiers, 3CR radio, 2017.
‘Australian composer-performer Anne Norman… brought a spirit of reconciliation to the WWII tunnel [under Darwin] to transform its original purpose and bring the little flute (the shakuhachi) and the giant flute (the tunnel) together to start a meaningful and daring adventure in sounds. The music and poetry in the album flow effortlessly… a mesmerising journey rich in colours, pace and emotion. Moving from the traditional sounds of Japan, the shakuhachi embarks on a journey across various horizons and boundaries. Her original compositions for shakuhachi, Rain Now and Then and Whispered Shadows, are beautiful works… In Whispered Shadows, soft multi-phonic elements of the shakuhachi and voice come and go behind or in-between walking rhythms of recurring patterns, creating a surreal impression.
The improvisations reveal the exceptional power of collective and spontaneous creativity. Listeners are led through various landscapes of sounds and emotions by the magical sounds of the shakuhachi at play with the violin(s) through space. The last track, Beneath the Surface, is so rich in audio images that it sounds almost like an artistic cinematic soundtrack…
The poems, written and recited by Anne Norman, add another dimension to the whole program. They generate atmospheres, add depth to the meaning of the music and lead listeners to the next aural world about to unfold.’ Album Review of Beneath the Surface, by Le Tuan Hung, Sonic Gallery 2016
‘The Zen-like poetry of Anne Norman threaded its way through her magical performances on shakuhachi flute… Even before the concert began, I was moved almost to tears, only having read the programme notes. Anne’s gift for words is shown already in the titles of her pieces — a poetic promise, abundantly fulfilled by the works and the performances that followed. The concert was a profound lecture, without words, on the intimate relationship between instrument and voice… the ability of an instrument to speak with the inflections of the vowels and consonants of language itself. In some of her own pieces, Anne alternates singing and playing in such a way that, after a while, as the melismas become more and more florid, you become unsure whether you are hearing her voice, or that of the flute, or both. Some of the most beautiful phrases were sheer, operatic coloratura, glowing with inner light, radiance and fluidity, but coming from a flute… a dialogue between personal identity and cosmic wholeness… evoking the whole, joyous chorus of nature. In Anne’s work there is joy in the discovery that you are not an isolated being in an otherwise alien universe, that there is fulfilment in merging with the whole.’ Melvyn Cann, Former Concert Master of the Victorian Opera Orchestra; Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at La Trobe University. Whispered Shadows, Migration Museum, Adelaide 2015
‘Whispered Shadows was really amazing! Gave me hope for the future of contemporary shakuhachi… extended techniques for shakuhachi are clearly in good hands.’ Yyan Ng, Whispered Shadows, Design Tasmania, Launceston. FB Review 2014
‘Anne played her flute and sang with it – two sounds resonating together with words inspired by Flinders Island… Like birdsong, but not; like wind, but not; like no other sound, but something higher. It was as if she could lure pixels of sound and whip them into line with the control of her breath…. a master of improvisation and adventure.’ TAS WEEKENDS, The Mercury, Hobart 2014
‘The combination of shakuhachi and female chanters is a match made in heaven. Not only was the sound of your playing exquisite, but I particularly appreciated the aptness and creativity of your improvisations.’ Gary Ekkel, Artistic Director Advent Festival, Newman Chapel, Melbourne. Anne Norman improvised shakuhachi solos in response to Gregorian chant sung by Canticum feminarum and Cantor Helen Thomson. 2011
‘Anne “sings” the pure voice of the shakuhachi with the sense of freedom and sheer ecstasy of a gifted singer! I don’t remember ever hearing any instrument play such pure voice-like tones!’ Mareid Sullivan, celtic singer/song writer, film-maker, 2011
‘The shakuhachi of Anne Norman showed how moving and vocal this instrument can be in an emotionally mobile context.’ Clive O’Connell, The Age, Melbourne 2005
More reviews here: https://annenorman.wordpress.com/category/reviews/