AustLit

'Over thirty artists present seven world premiere works spanning past and present and future from before recorded time to future dreaming. This artistic collaboriation offers a special perspective on Aboriginal identity, revealing language, secret history and culture.'

'Featuring the harmonies of Lou Bennett, Deline Briscoe, Emma Donovan and Mindy Kwanten, internationally recognised Yidaki player Mark Atkins, contemporary dancer and violinist Eric Avery, country and blues guitarist Lee Morgan alongside celebrated musicians John Rodgers (composer, violin, bass guitar), Genevieve Lacey (recorders), Greg Sheehan (percussion) and James Crabb (accordion) side by side with 22 orchestal players from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. '

'The production features the special and inspiring visual arts of Reko Rennie, photography of highly respected photographer Ricky Maynard and animations from David Jones and Al McGuiness continuing Black Arm Band’s tradition of bringing Aboriginal experience to life through the coupling of beautiful music with striking visual material.' (source: Black Arm Band website)

'Dirtsong is a music performance from Aboriginal Australia mixing traditional and contemporary songs, existing repertoire with newly commissioned music and sung in many Indigenous Australian languages.

'A narrative about country, dirtsong evokes a sense of geographical place and country as a series of encounters, memories, occurrences, obligations and nature.

'With words from Miles Franklin Award-winning author Alexis Wright (Carpentaria), these songs evoke a new conceptual and emotional map of Australia's heartland while gently awakening some of Australia's sleeping languages.'

Source: Black Arm Band website, http://www.blackarmband.com.au/
Sighted: 28/09/2009