On 25 & 26 May, Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra will present an all-Australian music program full of heartfelt and mesmerising music.

Camerata will intertwine works from esteemed Australian composers Margaret Sutherland, Frederick Septimus Kelly, Brenda Gifford, Cameron Patrick, and William Barton and Véronique Serret, in an expressive and heartfelt performance for chamber orchestra. These evocative works conjure vivid Australian soundscapes and the universal stories and experiences that we tie to our homeland.

From the sorrowful melodies in Kelly’s Elegy in Memoriam Rupert Brooke, the syncopated, step-like rhythms of Gifford’s Bardju (Footprints) to the colourful yet brooding Lines of the Southern Cross (Patrick), this performance explores the full breadth of emotion.

Featuring special guests William Barton, leading Australian didgeridoo virtuoso and composer, and the dynamic and versatile violinist, Véronique Serret, for their 2022 work Bushfire Requiem in a brand-new version for chamber orchestra, this will be an exciting all-Australian music program that celebrates our talent, stories, and unique experiences.

Camerata’s signature Wild Card Mystery Guest segment will also return for From My Homeland, with the artist yet to be announced. Previous Wild Card Mystery Guests have included The Australian Voices, Katie Noonan, ACPA dancers, guitarist Anthony Garcia and pianist Alex Raineri.

As usual Camerata welcomes audience members to join them in the foyer after the show to meet the musicians and have a chat!

From My Homeland by Camerata
BRISBANE
25 May 2023
Concert Hall, QPAC

TOOWOOMBA
26 May, 7pm
Armitage Centre, Empire Theatres
www.camerata.net.au

The mainstage production will play Toowoomba’s Empire Church Theatre on Wednesday 28 July and the Concert Hall at QPAC on Thursday 29 July. Wednesday’s performance will also be live-streamed via the Empire Theatres’ website.

After the resounding success of Camerata Re-Mastered in June, this concert series will continue to inspire and connect audiences through music and showcase the versatility of this world-class ensemble.

Camerata Artistic Director Brendan Joyce said the thoughtful eight-work program evokes the terrain and traditions of lands real, mythological and imagined.

“Travel is a point of connection for everyone and Landscapes will immerse audiences in the unique worlds that classical composers conjure in their compositions,” Mr Joyce said.

“Everyone loves music and everyone needs music, so I hope we can fill that innate need through an inspired selection of works that transport audiences through storytelling.”

Due to COVID-related border restrictions, special guest Eric Avery is unable to participate in Landscapes, however Camerata will collaborate with the First Nations violinist, dancer and composer for a 5@5 with Camerata online session to showcase his extraordinary talent.

Award-winning Australian blues-and-roots singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara will step in as guest vocalist, making her Camerata debut and continuing the creative collaborations and adventurous programming Camerata is known for.

The First Nations artist will sing the opening piece, Hear Me and Remember, a haunting original work by Queensland-born composer John Rodgers, as well as her own tender songs about home, family and culture in English and her traditional language, Anindilyakwa.

Camerata will then transport audiences to England with Lennox Berkeley’s sumptuous and sensual Serenade for Strings, reminiscent of the British String Sound, before the ensemble plays selections of Ivor Stravinsky’s Apollon Musagéte ballet score that blends rhythmic vitality and intense lyricism to envision a mythical landscape.

Australian composer Paul Stanhope conjures an imagined reality of the introspective world of children in a cancer ward in the sublime and poignant piece, Dancing on Clouds, while the penultimate works of Joaquin Rodrigo’s Dos Miniaturas Andaluzas and Five Greek Dances by Nikos Skalkottas channel the sensual flavour of Andalucia, Spain and light-hearted folk culture of Greece respectively.

Guest artist Emily Wurramara will close the program with two original songs accompanied by new arrangements by Camerata.

The soulful singer will perform Yimenda-Papaguneray (Turtle Song) in her traditional language and Ngarrukwujenama in English and Anindilyakwa, which pay homage to her island home of Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory and her connection to the land.

“My songs are written on Country, paying respects to the land and preserving it for future generations, which I think will intertwine beautifully with the Landscapes theme,” Ms Wurramara said.

“When I sing in my language, it does more than sing to your physical vessel, it reaches into your soul so while audiences may not understand what I am singing, they can feel it and connect with it and that in itself is healing,” she said.

Mr Joyce said he is thrilled to welcome Ms Wurramara on stage with Camerata, after seeing her perform Hear Me and Remember at the 2019 Adelaide Festival.

“Emily is a striking musician with a mesmerising quality, not just in her incredible voice but in her gentle yet strong presence on stage,” he said.

“Her desire to tell stories about where she’s from and sing in her language is such a special experience and I feel privileged that Camerata is able to share this with audiences in Brisbane and Toowoomba as part of the Landscapes concerts.”

Camerata’s Landscapes
TOOWOOMBA
Wednesday 28 July 2021
Empire Church Theatre, Empire Theatres, Toowoomba

BRISBANE
Thursday 29 July 2021
QPAC Concert Hall, South Brisbane
www.camerata.net.au