Equinox Trio will be taking audiences through a series of Australian and Maltese compositions at St James Cavalier, Valletta, on Friday at 8 p.m.

‘Walkabout’ is a rite that Australian aboriginal males perform to reach maturity. They go out in the wilderness and sing songlines which lead them over the miles.

The programme opens with Dream Tracks. Since 1988, Peter Sculthorpe wrote a series of works inspired by Kakadu National Park, in the north of Australia.

Some of these works have melodic material in common, the contours of each line usually being transformed in some way, both within pieces and in successive pieces.

The second trio on the programme is New York by Charles Camilleri. In 1971, Camilleri embarked on a series of chamber works among which was this Trio which was left unfinished. The composer recalls how during a visit to New York in 1998, the energy and hustle and bustle of the city reminded him of the Trio which was eventually brought back to life.

Four Miniatures by Richard Mills brings the first half of the programme to an end. The opening gestures of this work contain all the elements of harmony and melody which form the textures of the later movements.

Etnika Suite by Ruben Zahra was originally composed for flute, clarinet, violin, guitar, accordion, piano, tuba and percussion.

The music has been since arranged for various formations and ensembles and shall be premiered in this new version by the Equinox Trio. Rive by Australian composer Douglas Knehans will bring this performance to an end. ‘Rive’ literally means ripping or tearing apart.

When the Verdehr Trio visited Tasmania in 2001, they were taken with the severity of such primal ripping as expressed in the feeding habits of the Tasmanian Devil.

Equinox Trio features clarinettist Lino Pirotta, violinist Tatjana Chircop and pianist Tricia Dawn Williams. Tickets at €10 from St James Cavalier. Call 2122 3200 ore-mail boxoffice@sjcav.org or book online at www.sjcav.org.