December 2023
Considering Matthew Shepard. Photo by Rosina Possingham.
Hi everyone,
The year’s almost over, and there’s plenty that’s filled the past few months – here’s a little synopsis of what I’ve been up to…
In July, I started a new position as Research Associate on joined a new Australian Research Council-funded project at The University of Adelaide, ‘Fine Tuning: A Reconciliation of Indigenous and Western Musical Traditions’.
This important project explores the musical tuning systems of several First Nations’ songlines:
with Jasmine Moneymoon, her daughter and Tershana Kernan at Jessie Gap, Tjoritja/East Macdonnell Ranges
Focusing on central Australian song lines, the project strengthens our knowledge, understanding and application of the intricate tuning systems that underpin traditional Indigenous musical practices. Employing a unique methodology that combines Indigenous and contemporary Western musical performance practices with cutting-edge digital technologies, the project will show how the highly nuanced and sophisticated tunings at the heart of Indigenous music-making can be preserved when transposed to contemporary Western art music contexts. In so doing, the case is made for a more genuine, equitable dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous music-makers, to the mutual benefit of musicians, audiences, and society at large.
As part of this new role, I was fortunate to assist in a workshop at Ross River Resort NT with the Inarma Women’s Choir from Titjikala NT, who have been singing together for 40 years.
Over four days, various mentors trained the choir in breathing exercises, ensemble work, and singing old hymns that the ladies grew up with (in the Lutheran hymnal tradition, sung in Pitjantjatjara). New songs were also learnt and translated into Pitjantjatjara, including ‘The Rose’.
While assisting with food prep and general production, I also shuttled people to and from Alice Springs, allowing me to experience the breathtaking sunrise over the East MacDonnell Ranges.
One of the hymns, Godanya, sung by the old and young ladies at the workshops.
September saw rehearsals begin for “Considering Matthew Shepard,” a powerful work that I first produced and conducted the Australian premiere of in 2019 at Feast Festival, presenting this time for Soundstream New Music with co-producer Riana Chakravarti.
The piece, composed by Craig Hella Johnson, tells the tragic story of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man whose brutal 1998 murder in Wyoming sparked a global outcry against homophobic violence. The music brings Matthew’s story to life with haunting beauty and emotional depth.
This time around, with the production featuring the every amazing Mark Oates and Jennifer Trijo as soloists, incredible choristers from multiple Adelaide choirs including Young Adelaide Voices, Adelaide Chamber Singers, Adelaide Graduate Singers, and Festival Statesmen Chorus, and a stellar chamber ensemble.
Staged in Elder Hall at the University of Adelaide on the 25th anniversary of Matthew’s death (performances on October 12 and 14), this season extended on the previous 2019 presentation, with lighting design by Matt Ralph and various stage pieces including The Fence, Matthew’s clothes and memorial trickets. The full recording of the Saturday performance can be seen below:
Sopranos: Chloe Dunstan, Anastasia Ferguson, Amelia Holds, Vaishi Rajaramanan, Georgie Simmons, Brooke Window
Altos: Sanne Baltussen, Riana Chakravarti, Caitlin Merlin, Kat Ogierman. Keira Simmons, Genevieve Spalding, Caitlin Tait
Tenors:John Khammash, Anthony Little, Mat Monti, Nicholas Munday
Baritones and Basses: Will Barrett, Will Madden, Andrew Moschou, Jesse van Proctor, Mark Roberts, David Shields
Ensemble: Natalia Beos – Violin, Louis Cann – Double Bass, Karen De Nardi – Viola, Caspar Hawksley – Guitar, Steve Jarman – Clarinet, Hilary Kleinig – Cello, Henry Millar – Percussion, Nerissa Pearce – Répétiteur, Paul Sinkinson – Piano
Glowing reviews were received from Chris Reid for Limelight Magazine and Kym Clayton for The Barefoot Review:
“Conductor and musical director Jesse Budel has assembled a superb choir and excellent musical ensemble, which are joined by soloists Mark Oates and Jennifer Trijo. Musically, the result is first rate.”
“A fine and very moving performance of Craig Hella Johnson’s oratorio concerning a murder that changed the world...”
I’m sincerely grateful to our creative team, performers and generous donor, whose contributions made it possible to share Matthew’s story again to Adelaide audiences.
Later that month, on 24 October, Soundstream hosted cult icon Eugene Chadbourne On The Fleurieu at The Loft, Aldinga Beach.
Eugene returned to tour Australia for the first time in 13 years, sharing his unique interpretations of well known songs and originals, as well as collaborating with Gabriella Smart on electric cristal. Check out the video of their improvisation below:
November saw the culmination of my year-long residency at Flinders University’s fourth-order Ambisonic Studio (now know as ‘The Cube’) with the presentation of a new work, Mandala.
Mandala explores the ecosystems of South Australia through second-order ambisonic recordings, blending my experience of Tibetan Buddhist liturgy with environmental soundscapes (a lateral connection of three-dimensional mandala visual projection in tantric meditation to three-dimensional aural representations of soundscapes in ambisonics).
The Cube at Flinders University, a fourth-order (28.4) ambisonic system with speakers surrounding the audience on all sides. Image: Sean Williams.
Presented as a sound bath or guided meditation, the work was premiered in octophonic format first at the Migration Museum on November 19 as part of Chamber Music Adelaide’s On The Terrace 2024 festival.
Ambisonic presentations of the work featured as part of Flinders University’s Festival of Creative Arts, with two days of hearings on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21, and more on Thursday 23 following my final Artist-In-Residence presentation.
More information can be found here: Mandala presents the sounds of South Australia in a 360° studio
Later on 25 November, Soundstream celebrated its 30th birthday party extravanganza!
Having been involved with Soundstream for the past decade (as a JUMP National Mentoring Scholarship in 2012, Administrator and Associate Artistic Director the past two years, and various capacities in the interim).
As part of the day, several works of mine were presented:
a grand piano harp improvisation for the ruined piano project Channelling Dulcie’s Piano (developed with Vanessa Tomlinson in May 2023).
An additional presentation of Mandala for octophonic array amidst the soundscape of the Aldinga Scrub dusk chorus.
With Gabriella Smart, I was also interviewed by Chris Reid about Soundstream’s 30 year history.
Other featured performances by a cornucopia of Soundstream friends and collaborators included:
Gabriella Smart: Glasshouse #5 by Ann Southam and For Cornelius by 2013 Soundstream resident composer Alvin Curran.
Sage Green (Keira Simmons and Thea Martin): violin and live electronics.
David Moran, solo cello works: Preludes #4 and #6 by Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, Air Burnt Dry by 2014 Emerging Composers Forum participant John Pax, and Sept Papillons by Kaija Saariaho
Gabriella Smart: Olivia Davies’ enfold, Philip Glass’ Mad Rush and Eve Beglarian’s All U Got 2 Do on harmonium
Dylan Crismani, Gabriella Smart: An octophonic performance by on Electric Cristals, with spatialisation by Daniel Pitman
David Kotlowy: Pulsa Listric on guitar and treatments
A group improvisation, followed by a delicious dinner cooked by Yasser Hussein-Yassin, Colleen Smart and Gabriella Smart.
Gabriella Smart and Dan Pitman: Nocturnal surround work Dark: Antikythera
Georgia Oatley: Late night electronic music explorations
Lastly, on December 3, I had the premiere of a new choral setting of William' Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud’ was performed at the Young Adelaide Voices End-Of-Year Concert in Elder Hall, conducted by dear friend Trish Hart and performed by the Intermediate Choir, Aurora, and myself as accompanist. Have a watch and listen below!
