A concert performed throughout regional Tasmania will tell the story of the evolution of song, drawing on the creatures that started it all: birds.
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The show will be presented by two of Australia's most adventurous classical musicians, Simone Slattery on violin and Anthony Albrecht on cello.
The performance, Where Song Began, was inspired by the bestselling book of the same name written by Tim Low. It is a musical celebration of Australia’s birds – the first songbirds in existence according to Low’s book - and how they shaped the world.
The idea for the show was originally conceived by Slattery, and Albrecht was brought on “because of [my] ability to make didgeridoo sounds on my cello,” he said.
“We’ve developed it into this really beautiful hour-long piece, and we’re fortunate to have been able to not only tell the story of the book but also combine our music, which is from the last 300 years along with some more ancient sounds, with some really stunning landscape photography and videography, along with some really beautiful poetry and art,” he said.
“We think it’s a really innovative way of presenting the kind of music we love to play.”
Simone Slattery was recently awarded a PhD in Music Performance from the University of Adelaide and performs regularly with Australia’s finest ensembles., while Anthony Albrecht is an Australian graduate of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance program and is now based in London.
The show also includes a Q&A with the two musicians.
“People are usually very interested to ask questions at the end, and we’re thrilled to be able to explain a bit more of the context of the work,” Albrecht said.
“We’re generally finding that it gives us more of a sense of connecting with the audience, which can often be missing in the concert hall.”
One dollar from every ticket sold will be donated to Birdlife Tasmania or a related cause.
- Where Song Began at Swansea on Wednesday, January 16, St Helens on January 17, Scottsdale on January 18, Deloraine on January 19, and a special performance in the Tarkine Wilderness on January 22. More information and tickets at wheresongbegan.com.