Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

A setting of seven folk-songs carefully selected to represent different aspects of Australia's colonial history. It begins with Ten Thousand Miles Away, referring to the sea voyage awaiting all immigrants. The Drover's Dream and The Shearer's Dream are the result of too much time spent in the wide open outback, and The Stockman's Last Bed is a touching tribute to a departed friend. I've Just Come From Sydney is a delightful piece of nonsense, and Wide-Eyed Sue is a typical hard-luck story with a hauntingly beautiful melody. The suite finishes with a rousing arrangement of The Old Bark Hut. The songs are well supported by the elaborate and colourful orchestration. The AUSTRALIAN FOLK-SONG SUITE was commissioned by Blackburn High School for their senior choir and symphony orchestra for performance at the Australian Society of Music Educators conference at Alice Springs in 1990.

Work Details

Year: 1990

Instrumentation: SAB chorus, 2 flutes (doubling piccolos), oboe (doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, percussion (2 players), harp/celesta/piano, timpani, strings.

Duration: 14 min.

Contents note: Ten thousand miles away -- The drover's dream -- The stockman's last bed -- The shearer's dream -- I've just come from Sydney -- Wide-eyed Sue -- The old bark hut