Eugene Von Guérard, Ferntree Gully in the Dandenong Ranges 1857
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 1975
'Where Song Began' is a musical celebration of Australia's birds and how they shaped the world.
'…an unforgettable and inspiring work, that captivated the audience '
'...it moved me to tears... I left feeling I had been sung to by the country'
Inspired by leading ornithologist Tim Low's award-winning book, this performance explores the Australian origins of songbirds, 'the birds that can sing'. Audiences are encouraged to contemplate the origin of birdsong and the importance of Australia's rich and colourful bird history. The program includes music spanning 300 years, enhanced by a film of evocative visual projections, and an immersive soundscape.
Simone Slattery (PhD, 2019 Churchill Fellow), performs regularly with Australia's finest ensembles. Anthony Albrecht is an Australian graduate of The Juilliard School's Historical Performance program. They co-founded the Bowerbird Collective in 2017.
Created with support from the TCL Kevin Taylor Legacy Grant
Upcoming Performances
To be announced...
CD Release
"...a work of art; a transfixing soundscape"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Spectacular" Limelight Magazine
Order this stunning new CD. BUY NOW
The award-winning bestseller that put Australian birds on the world map - nature and science writing at their best.
Tim Low has a rare gift for illuminating complex ideas in highly readable prose, and making of the whole a dynamic story. Here he brilliantly explains how our birds came to be so extraordinary, including the large role played by the foods they consume (birds, too, are what they eat), and by our climate, soil, fire, and Australia's legacy as a part of Gondwana. The story of its birds, it turns out, is inseparable from the story of Australia itself, and one that continues to unfold, so much having changed in the last decade about what we know of our ancient past. Read More
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Eugene Von Guérard, Ferntree Gully in the Dandenong Ranges 1857, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 1975