What's On

In a collaboration that spans continents and cultures, the Australian Art Orchestra pushes the boundaries of musical form and plays in the spaces between cultural practices. In Hand To Earth, Yolngu songman Daniel Wilfred as the keeper of ‘manikay’ (songs) from South East Arnhem Land, brings the voices of his people tracing back over 40,000 years. While Sunny Kim - one of Korea’s most sought-after jazz vocalists - uses her voice and wordless gestures to invoke raw elemental forces.

Against a backdrop created by trumpeter/composer Peter Knight, David Yipininy Wilfred on yidaki and Aviva Endean on clarinet, Sunny and Daniel sing of timeless things – from the stars, to fire, to the cooling rain. Weaving their voices into minimalist soundscapes reminiscent of Brain Eno and Jon Hassell, their interplay and improvisation creates an immediate expression of contemporary Australia.

A reflection of the past caught vividly in the present, Hand To Earth is a contrasting yet beautiful invitation to share culture and learn from each other.