Iconic Australian singer/songwriter, Paul Kelly, joins recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey and ANAM Musicians to present Conversations With Ghosts, a new song cycle based on texts of Paul Kelly, Les Murray, W.B. Yeats and Lord Alfred Tennyson on Wednesday October 10th at the Capitol Theatre Sydney. Tickets are on sale now.
This major new work has been co-written by Paul Kelly and ANAM’s 2011 resident composer James Ledger.
Conversations With Ghosts will be performed by Paul Kelly, vocals and guitar; Genevieve Lacey, recorders; and ten ANAM musicians, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet/saxophone, two horns, keyboards and harp.
Working together for the first time, Paul Kelly (Melbourne) and James Ledger (Perth) have created a beautiful and atmospheric work that touches on the theme of death and mortality. This major work has been in development for over 12 months.
The poems which have inspired the 12 new songs include: The Lake Isle of Innisfree, W.B. Yeats; Bound to Follow, Paul Kelly co written with Dan Kelly; Once in a Lifetime, Snow, Les Murray; Five Bells, Kenneth Slessor; Basking Shark, Norman MacCaig; Sailing to Byzantium, W.B. Yeats; Woman to Man, Judith Wright; The Chimes at Midnight, Paul Kelly; One Need not be a Chamber to be Haunted, Emily Dickinson; Ring Out, Wild Bells (from In Memoriam), Lord Alfred Tennyson; and I’m Not Afraid of the Dark Anymore, Paul Kelly.
In an influential career spanning more than thirty years, Paul Kelly has recorded seventeen studio albums as well as several film soundtracks (Lantana and the Cannes 2006 highlight, Jindabyne). He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1997. Songs From The South, a selection of his popular songs first assembled in 1997 expanded to a double album in 2008 and contains many of his songs now lodged deep in the Australian psyche. In 2010 Paul Kelly released his acclaimed memoir How To Make Gravy and the accompanying CD Box Set The A-Z Recordings.
Composer, James Ledger has written contemporary music for the major Australian symphony orchestras, and film scores. Recent premieres include In Orbit for Chicago-based group Eighth Blackbird and the Australian National Academy of Music, and Two Memorials (for Anton Webern and John Lennon) performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Genevieve Lacey is a musician, artistic director, creator, and serial collaborator. She has made a career as a recorder virtuoso, imagining and presenting new possibilities for her instrument. She has a substantial recording career (ABC Classics) and is highly sought after as a soloist in Australia and overseas. She also has a significant track record as commissioner and author of new works.
This ground breaking work, commissioned by the Australian National Academy of Music, follows previous highly acclaimed ANAM commissions: Eddie Perfect & The Brodsky Quartet – Songs from the Middle, and choreographer Helen Herbertson Bach Suites.
Conversations With Ghosts, SYDNEY – Wednesday October 10th at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney.
Tickets on sale now, $99.00 including booking fee. Bookings:
