A couple of months ago I wrote a post on British dance critic Arnold Haskell's book, Waltzing Matilda: a background to Australia (published in Australia in 1944). I said then that I'd come back to it, so here I am, focusing this time on his chapter on "The Arts". It comprises 22 pages covering, according to … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Arnold Haskell on the Arts (1)
Australian arts and culture
The Griffyns … wah! wah! wah!
Last weekend was the last Griffyns concert of the year - and what a delight it was (except for the wah! moment). It was their 10th anniversary concert and they called it Griffyns Go Wilder. Knowing the Griffyns, as you do by now if you've been following my posts, you'll know that that could mean … Continue reading The Griffyns … wah! wah! wah!
The Griffyns meet Red Note
Some Griffyn Ensemble concerts are intellectually challenging and some are educational, some are musically innovative and some are simply good fun, but some, like this week's Castles of Refuge, are just plain beautiful. Castles of Refuge was the third concert of this year's four-concert season and was presented in collaboration with Scottish new music group, … Continue reading The Griffyns meet Red Note
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Arts, mid-1960s style
Last week's Monday Musings discussed my high school history book, Nation and people, published in 1967. I don't plan to labour this book, but I would like to share its chapter on the Arts. The authors, Brian Hodge and Allen Whitehurst, dedicate 8 pages to "The Arts" which is pretty good, I think, for a school history book. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Arts, mid-1960s style
Monday musings on Australian literature: Arnold Haskell’s Australia
Who is Arnold Haskell you are probably asking, if you are anything like me. The answer will probably surprise you: he was a British dance critic, who wrote many books on ballet, and was, in fact, involved in the development of the Royal Ballet School. But, he also visited Australia a couple of times, first in 1936, as … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Arnold Haskell’s Australia
The Griffyns are mummified
Those Griffyns, if you haven't realised it from my previous posts, are a brave and versatile bunch. Their latest outing, the Ear of the Cat, was inspired by musical director Michael Sollis' residency in Egypt last year. Performed last weekend, it was the ensemble's first real concert of the year and was included - a first for them I … Continue reading The Griffyns are mummified
National Eucalypt Day
After writing my Monday Musings on World Poetry Day this week, I was surprised to discover that today, Wednesday 23rd March, is National Eucalypt Day. I had no idea we had such a day, which is probably not surprising as this is only its 3rd year. It is an initiative of the Bjarn K Dahl … Continue reading National Eucalypt Day
The Griffyns experiment with Utopia
In a recent Monday Musings, I referred to the fact that the Griffyn Ensemble's last concert for 2015 would be about the New Australia Movement's Utopia experiment in Paraguay. That concert took place this last weekend, and what a concert it was. The Griffyns - yes, I'm a fan - just keep getting better. Well, actually, they've … Continue reading The Griffyns experiment with Utopia
And so another great Musica Viva year ends
Musica Viva has done it again: it has produced another year of splendiferous, inspiring concerts. Mr Gums and I have been subscribing to Musica Viva (or its predecessor here in Canberra, the Canberra Chamber Music Society*) for nearly four decades - albeit with a gap in the middle for child-rearing and overseas posting. We love … Continue reading And so another great Musica Viva year ends
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian novels adapted for opera
Today's post is inspired by an article, "Fly away Peter: When Australian literature goes to the opera", published in May this year in The Conversation. Written by Michael Halliwell, Associate Professor of Vocal Studies and Opera at the University of Sydney, it was inspired by the production of an opera based on David Malouf's wonderful novel, Fly away Peter. Now, as some … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian novels adapted for opera
Whispering Gums 