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Work

Within our reach : a symphony of the Port River

by Chester Schultz (1996)

Within our reach

Non-Commercial

This item is not commercially available from the Australian Music Centre. We regret that we cannot offer it for sale.

Work Overview

A symphony in 13 movements built from environmental recordings made in 1989-94 on a reach of the Port River in Adelaide. Mangroves, mudflats, birds, water, boat horns, trains, traffic, industry, junk. Simultaneously a documentary of Port Adelaide's backwater, a work of soundscape art and a spiritual journey, it celebrates open space, islands of quiet in a rising sea of noise, and those (Aboriginal and white) who were pushed out in order to build up this land. The music of nature is still there for those who listen; and humans make music on instruments, voices and the debris. Stories from the underside. Spiritual metaphors in our commonplace urban environment.

Track 10 incorporates the voice and story of Aboriginal elder the late Veronica Brodie.

Comes with a 24-page booklet, including text that may be used to introduce the tracks during playback.

Work Details

Year: 1996

Duration: 78 min.

Difficulty: N/A - Not for live performance

Contents note: Part 1: Riverside -- The old Port Beach -- Wind, water, castle of wizardry -- Mangrove Creek -- Hulks -- River play -- Dance of the mudflats -- Part 2: Voices -- East bank: not really a life -- West bank: when the owl comes a-looking -- The beasts of babylon -- Ground water, sea water -- Study war no more.

Dedication note: Dedicated on different levels to the late Jacques Ellul, to the late Olivier Messiaen, to R Murray Schafer, and all the residents of Port Adelaide who love the land they walk on.

First performance: 13 Apr 96. CD launch, Mangrove Cove, Ethelton, SA

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences etc. assocaed with this work:
Soundscapes (recorded environmental sound). Free improvisation. Folksong. Aboriginal chant. Aboriginal language

Analysis available at http://environmentalhumanities.org/archives/vol4/

Subjects

Performances of this work

13 Apr 96: CD launch, Mangrove Cove, Ethelton, SA

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