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

Voices of Remembrance is a musical memorial—presented by the Queensland Government in partnership with Queensland Music Festival (QMF)—commemorating the centenary of the signing of the Armistice that led to the end of the First World War. This momentous event is one of the final anniversaries to be observed during the Anzac Centenary period, 2014–2018.

Specially selected by music director Dr Jonathon Welch AM, founder of The Choir of Hard Knocks, the repertoire includes anthems that reflect on war, peace and the enduring legacy of the Anzac spirit.

In addition to a world premiere by revered Australian composer Gordon Hamilton, musical
highlights of the two-hour concert include favourite songs from the era, Keep the Home Fires Burning and It’s A Long Road to Tipperary, through to contemporary works such as Kristin Berard’s A Mother’s Plea and Eric Bogle’s And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. QMF Artistic Director Katie Noonan said each concert would feature a distinct musical narrative, written specifically for Toowoomba and Cairns locales by award-winning Queensland playwright and director Daniel Evans, a past recipient of the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award.

“Voices of Remembrance spotlights the history and legacy of the community during the First World War, and acknowledges the vital role of Indigenous soldiers and the Australian Light Horse, whose actions helped turn the tide of war in favour of the allies,” Ms Noonan said.

“These powerful concerts will help everyone reconnect with moving stories from the First World War, and pay tribute to the peace that came with the signing of the Armistice.”

Toowoomba Anglican College and Preparatory School’s Director of Performing Arts, Nerida Eckert, said she was proud to perform as part of the Toowoomba core choir alongside her husband and members of her local community.

“Voices of Remembrance is a worthy celebration of Australian history and an important event to reflect on the sacrifice of ordinary Australians to provide us with a better quality of life,” Ms Eckert said.

“It is a wonderful experience to perform with high calibre conductors, soloists and musicians alongside my fellow choristers.”

Community choirs all over Queensland have been rehearsing the Voices of Remembrance concert repertoire in their own communities and will showcase their work with performances at pop-up events, community gatherings or formal concerts in the lead up to, or in conjunction with, their Remembrance Day services.

Many groups from across the state have embraced this opportunity, with groups from Mount Isa, across to Charters Towers and down to Cunnamulla and Scenic Rim already confirming their local performance details.

The free Voices of Remembrance concerts in Toowoomba and Cairns are part of a broad and inclusive suite of Armistice Centenary commemorations across the state to ensure the Anzac legacy is preserved for future generations.

Voices of Remembrance, Toowoomba
Friday, 9 November 2018
7pm – Empire Theatre, Toowoomba
www.qld.gov.au/remembranceday

Voices of Remembrance, Cairns
Saturday, 10 November 2018
7pm – Munro Martin Parklands, Cairns
www.qld.gov.au/remembranceday