Australian composer Richard Meale (1932-2009) has just died at the age of 77. He was perhaps Australia’s best expressionist, especially in moving early works such as Homage to Garcia Lorca, and Clouds Now And Then. In his later years, like so many 20th-century Australian modernist composers, he turned to writing late-romantic tosh, as if the only function of composers was to support the film industry. In honour of his memory, I repeat the profound Basho haiku which he quoted on the score of Clouds Now And Then:
Clouds now and then,
Giving men relief
From moon-viewing.
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