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Digital Audio Album
New Gold Mountain : Original Soundtrack / Caitlin Yeo and Cat Stratton.
Version: This product features the Film/TV soundtrack version of this work
Score
New Gold Mountain : suite for orchestra / music by Caitlin Yeo ; orchestrated by Jessica Wells.
Library shelf no. 784.2/YEO 1 [Available for loan]
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Work Overview
My approach for scoring New Gold Mountain was to find a sound world that explored the clash of cultures amidst the gold rush in the town of Ballarat in 1857 from a Chinese perspective. The music needed to imbue an off-kilter twist to this revisionist western whilst adding a sense of mystery to the show. I used Chinese instruments such as Dizi, Pipa and Guqin for the western characters, and western colonial instruments such as steel string guitars, low Irish whistles, and fiddles for the Chinese. The other key sound for the music of the series is a gold pan! Shortly after reading the scripts, I realised that there is one unifying drive for all the characters in the show: their search for gold. So, I nervously asked Kylie du Fresne (producer) to bring me back a gold pan from the set to see if there were any sounds that it could bring to the series. As it happened, it became a key element for the percussion in the series, a real gold mine of timbres and tones!
Whilst scoring New Gold Mountain, I discovered a deep personal connection to the story, the characters, their world, and their experiences. Being mixed Australian/Singaporean-Chinese, the process of working on the show was profoundly moving and transformational, as I found myself continuously reflecting on my own experiences as a Asian growing up in Australia. Working on this show taught me more about myself and my heritage, and gave me the permission to embrace and accept the Chinese part of who I am.
To ensure this symphonic orchestral suite was suitable for a standard orchestra, I had to remove all the traditional Chinese instruments, guitars, whistles, accordions, and gold pan from score. To retain the ethnic origins of the work (both eastern and western), I transferred these parts to various sections of the orchestra, and included an electronic keyboard (that triggers sampled sounds) and a larger, active percussion section. This is a fun and bold work for an orchestra to perform as it requires a modern performance approach to imbue it with swagger, grit and drama.
This score has been one of my most successful to date and received the following accolades.
2021 AACTA Award - Best Original Score in Television
2022 APRA AGSC Screen Music Award - Best Music for a Miniseries.
2022 APRA AGSC Screen Music Award - Best Television Theme
Work Details
Year: 2021, this version: 2024
Instrumentation: 2 Flutes, oboe, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in B flat, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, 5 percussion (brake drum, Chinese cymbals, Chinese gong, gran cassa, lion drum, low tom, small gong, snare drum (mounted), susp. cymbal, tam tam, tambourine, vibraphone, wind chimes, piano, keyboard, harp, strings (14/12/10/8/6).
Duration: 5 min.
Contents note: New Gold Mountain Theme -- Shing Walks Through Town -- I’ll Be Back in an Hour.
This orchestral suite is an up orchestrated and extended arrangement of three musical works from the 2021 SBS limited TV series New Gold Mountain (Goalpost Pictures).
Awards & Prizes
| Year | Award | Placing | Awarded for/to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Screen Music Awards : Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie | Winner | Caitlin Yeo |
| 2022 | Screen Music Awards : Best Soundtrack Album | Finalist | Caitlin Yeo |
| 2022 | Screen Music Awards : Best Television Theme | Winner | Caitlin Yeo |
| 2021 | AACTA Industry Awards | Winner | Caitlin Yeo for New Gold Mountain (Best Original Score in Television) |
Analysis
Resonate article: AACTA Awards to Caitlin Yeo and Christopher Gordon by Australian Music Centre
Subjects
- In the form/style of: Film & TV Music
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