When Deborah Cheetham Fraillon’s Eumeralla received its symphonic premiere with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2019, the response was like nothing guest MSO Chorus Director Steven Hodgson had experienced before.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hamer Hall so full for a classical concert. I remember the silence at the end of the performance – it was  profound, lasted for what felt like an age, and then the audience roared,” he tells Limelight.

“When Deborah came forward and took her bows, the reaction from the audience was overwhelming.”

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC week, MSO is preparing to stage highlights from that work on 11 July in a concert titled Yinya dana: lighting the path. Co-presented by Cheetham Fraillon’s company Short Black Opera, the event honours the “strength, vision and legacy” of the singer-composer and educator with a selection of her works, including Earth, Dutala, star filled sky and Pecan Summer.

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon and the MSO: Eumeralla, 2019. Photo © Laura Manariti

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