Precious Music, Precious Water - Dad's symphony by Bee Williamson

Precious Music, Precious Water

Performances & Gigs
27 Feb 2010

An exceptional community music-water event will take place on 27 February, 2010, at the Melbourne Town Hall, intended to remind people of the beauty and preciousness of Water and our natural environment.

This timely event is a collaborative arts performance, involving deeply moving music and beautifully filmed imagery, drawn from two distinctive UNESCO Biospheres – our Mornington Peninsula Biosphere and the North Devon Biosphere – Europe’’s most significant and bio-diverse wetlands.

Precious Music, Precious Water is a concert in two parts. The first will feature the world premiere live performance of ’’Tarka’’ composed by former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips and Melbourne-based Harry Williamson, son of Henry Williamson, author of the modern literary classic novel Tarka the Otter.

’’Tarka’’, which literally means wandering as water is a symphony in four movements heavily influenced by the impressionist composers Debussy and Ravel. Harry Williamson and acclaimed guitarist Doug de Vries are the soloists for this unusual composition featuring guitars in different open tunings, with the White Horse City Orchestra, conducted by Gerald Keuneman. The concert will also feature well known soloists and the mighty Melbourne Town Hall Organ.

Mr Williamson says the North Devon landscape which inspired his father’’s book has, in turn, inspired this music.

My aim with this music, and I think Henry’’s with his book, is to awaken people to the beauty that surrounds them,” Mr Williamson said.

“I want to draw people’’s attention to the inestimable value of areas like these two Biospheres.

“My father’’s magical descriptions of the natural world opened the eyes of so many to the beauty of country landscapes and the importance of water as a source of life.

“As an advocate of conservation myself I hope our music continues to inspire and motivate generations of people around the globe

The second part of the event features highly acclaimed artists including:
Ruby Hunter singer songwriter
Doug de Vries solo guitarist
Michael Johnson harp
Kavisha Mazzella singer songwriter
Invention in Time marimba and vibraphone
Frank Jones singer songwriter
and The Northern Voice Choir

These artists have composed and will perform their own musical tributes to our waterscape, the arteries of our civilization, celebrating their role in our culture and heritage.

Their music will be set to a wider narrative on the value of water by Mary Crooks, Victorian Women’’s Trust Executive Director.

Ms Crooks said Precious Music, Precious Water is a call to action for community members, to involve people in the appreciation of the importance of water in our lives.

Our waterways will not sustain us with current consumption levels, and we want to motivate people to act now,” Ms Crooks said.

“We’’re using inspiring performance to reach into their souls and galvanize people to demand action from our government to initiate sustainable water policies.

The world premiere live performance of Tarka will take place on Saturday 27 February 2010 at 2.00 pm, with a second performance at 7.30pm. It represents a valuable opportunity to make a beautiful noise and awaken our community with actions aimed at conserving our most essential resource – water!

Tickets are now on sale for both performances, and are available from www.greentix.com.au.
One tree will be planted for each ticket sold.
Tickets www.greentix.com.au
Bookings
Venue Melbourne Town Hall
City Melbourne
Region Victoria, Australia
Start date 27 Feb 2010
End date 27 Feb 2010
Email maribel@springstudio.com.au
http://www.greetix.com.au