Navigating North
Offering a soothing balm to the Build Up, Arafura Music Collective delivers a unique composition of works in their end-of-year performance, The Edge of North.
By Jenna Kirkham
WHILE TOP ENDERS can often be caught echoing familiar sentiments surrounding the November heat, Arafura Music Collective has looked beyond our shores to uncover what the idea of north means to others.
Exploring themes of resilience, nature, and cultural identity, Arafura Music Collective’s Artistic Director Claire Kilgariff reveals why the topic is a great way to refresh your perspective.
“The fun part of the whole concept for us, is that this is the time of year that it doesn’t matter who you talk to, the first thing everybody says is ‘oh my god, isn’t it hot today?’ … and so, it’s a lovely little way of rethinking that.”
Listeners can enjoy a mixture of interpretations from composers, both near and far, as each work guides you through a musical odyssey of evocative chamber music.
Be transported by Edvard Grieg’s harmonies surrounding his Nordic heritage and love of the northern landscape, Peter Sculthorpe’s Indigenous chants reflecting the reality of colonialism in northern Australia, and Isabella Leonarda’s elegant melodies focusing on a life of seclusion in northern Italy, to name a few.
“It’s an opportunity to really get up close and personal to the musicians and just enjoy a bit of culture in the afternoon, in a really stress-free, relaxed, and calm environment,” Kilgariff says.
“You can lie on the floor, you can sit, you can stand. It’s just really about connecting people to beautiful music and to each other.”
Held in air-conditioned comfort, you’re invited to roll out your yoga mats, escape the heat, and listen to talented musos reinterpret the meaning of north.
Arafura Music Collective The Edge of North
WHEN SAT 16 NOV | 3.30-5PM
AT GRAY COMMUNITY HALL
COST $10-$24.50
WHEN SUN 17 NOV | 5-6.20PM
AT NT SUPREME COURT
COST $10-$38.50
INFO facebook.com/arafuramusiccollective
Header, thumbnail & inset: Paz Tassone
