Of all the distinctive public buildings in Canberra, the National Portrait Gallery would have to be my favourite. Opened in December 2008, about 18 months after my arrival in Canberra to live and work, the NPG – acronyms are mandatory in the ACT – sits modestly alongside its two imposing older sisters, the High Court building and the National Gallery, all gracing the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. The NPG is airy, uncluttered and unencumbered by its architectural significance. It opens out to embrace the full glory of Canberra’s autumn foliage. At this time of year, the city itself is a gallery, best viewed from the hills overlooking our bush capital.

The NPG has long been an enthusiastic and generous host for musical events and I have been to many memorable concerts in its spacious foyer. On one afternoon this week the NPG embraced an event that was an intriguing and important part of the programme of this year’s Canberra International Music Festival, aka CIMF.

Half the Sky: the Sound of the Sexual Revolution was not so much a series of mini-concerts as a reflection on the role of women in Australian music, composition and performance and reception. It’s hardly a...