The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s latest offering navigates the currents of time from Baroque England to contemporary Australia, exploring water’s universal resonance through a confluence of musical eras and cultures.
Reimagining King George I’s river parties on the Thames over three centuries ago, the innovative program interweaves Handel’s Water Music with modern Australian compositions, charting new territories while paying homage to the past on period instruments.
Rrawun Maymuru and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra: Water Music. Photo © Laura Manariti
The musical introduction, composed by Yolŋu songman Rrawun Maymuru from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land and Sydney-based composer Nick Wales, sets a contemplative tone. With Paul Dyer at the helm on harpsichord, the orchestra provides sonorous support to the raw beauty of Maymuru’s traditional Manikay (songlines). His delivery floats gently over the ensemble’s ethereal harmonies.
The ABO then captures the dynamic and festive spirit of the 1717 water parties where Handel’s Water Music was first performed. The Overture sparkles with ornamental flourishes, while the Allegro features Concertmaster Shaun-Lee Chen and violinist Ben Dollman in spirited counterpoint. Adam Masters offers...
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The incorrect use of the word songlines in this review (and in the Brandenburg program) might well have arisen from Bruce Chatwin’s silly book with that title. Manikay is a scared Yolŋu song. Songline (or songspiral) is a much more complex telling of stories (including songs) as the geography and ecology of Country is memorised mnemonically.
Please try not to confuse