ARIA Award winning Melbourne Ska Orchestra never do anything by half measures! Not only does the band perform with up to 35 members on stage, but they also record and release material at break neck speed.  So in 2018, paying respect to the Jamaican Sound System phenomenon, where artists would record and release new tracks on a weekly basis, MSO committed to doing the same.  For one whole year, 52 new songs, over  52 weeks!  We are not sure if any other band has done this before. It sure seems like a record of some kind has been broken. The final tally of the years recording of 52 songs, worked out as 4 x 13 track albums. Album 1 - The bands rendition of 13 ‘Ska Classics’, that had inspired the bands inception.Album 2 – Presented the bands renditions of TV & Movie themes (a tradition in the Ska genre),Album 3 + 4 – The band focused it’s full attention on original material, writing new songs for the project on practically a weekly basis.  As a result two albums ‘Read All About It’ and ‘Transmission Friday’s’, totaling 26 songs shows the maturity and dedication to putting a unique and relevant stamp on the Ska genre.

This International Women’s Day (March 8), ABC Classic is releasing Women of Note: A Century of Australian Composers – the first in a new series celebrating Australian female composers.Australia has always punched above our weight musically, our female musicians especially – Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland and Eileen Joyce in particular loom large among the finest musicians of the twentieth century. But beyond these celebrated performers, the history of Australia’s female composers is equally outstanding.Miriam Hyde,Dulcie Holland and Margaret Sutherland were hugely influential in the early years of Australia’s musical development. Peggy Glanville-Hicks and Anne Boydlooked beyond our borders to the musical traditions of other cultures, and sought to find a place for Australia among the community of musical nations.Elena Kats-Cherninis a phenomenon unto herself, arguably Australia’s most popular and best known composer. Yuin woman Brenda Gifford brings insights from her Indigenous culture to the Western classical tradition. And composers such as Sally Whitwell, Maria Grenfell,Kate Moore,Nicole Murphy andOlivia Bettina Davies represent the myriad ways in which classical music is developing in the 21st century.This compilation is a fascinating journey through the history of Australian composition, highlighting just how much of that history has been written by women. TRACKLISTING  CD 1MIRIAM HYDE 1913–2005Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat minor (1934)1 I. Allegro 2 II. Lento 3 III. Allegro scherzando Miriam Hyde piano, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Simon conductorDULCIE HOLLAND 1913–2000Piano Trio (1944)live recording 4 I. Allegro non troppo 5 II. Fast 6 III. Allegro maestoso Eggner TrioPEGGY GLANVILLE-HICKS 1912–1990Etruscan Concerto (1954)7 I. Promenade 8 II. Meditation 9 III. Scherzo Caroline Almonte piano, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Richard Mills conductor CD2MARGARET SUTHERLAND 1897–1984Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1960)1 I. Allegro 2 II. Adagio 3 III. Allegro Leonard Dommett violin, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Patrick Thomas conductorANNE BOYD b. 19464 As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams (1975)The Contemporary Singers, Antony Walker conductorELENA KATS-CHERNIN b. 19575 Russian Rag (1995 / 1996)Sydney Alpha Ensemble, David Stanhope conductorMARIA GRENFELL b. 1969Di Primavera (Of Spring) (1998 / 2001)6 I. Lively and steadily 7 II. Rubato, espressivo 8 III. With energy and bounce Claire Edwardes marimba, Karin Schaupp guitarSALLY WHITWELL b. 19749 Road Trip (2012)Sally Walker flute, Sally Whitwell pianoKATE MOORE b. 197910 Fern (2012)Ensemble OffspringNICOLE MURPHY b. 198311 Spinning Top (2016)Benaud TrioBRENDA GIFFORD b. 1965arr. Jessica Wells12 Bardju (Footprints) (2017)Ensemble OffspringOLIVIA BETTINA DAVIES b. 198813 Crystalline (2018)ACO Collective

Birgit Nilsson – soprano Sydney Symphony Orchestra Sir Charles Mackerras – conductor Australia’s musical landscape changed forever on the evening of 29 September 1973, when the brand-new Sydney Opera House opened the doors of its Concert Hall to the public for the first time. In front of a packed, emotion-charged house, the great Australian conductor Sir Charles Mackerras made a triumphant homecoming in an all-Wagner concert that sent the critics searching for superlatives.ABC Classics is proud to release on DVD the original television footage of highlights from the concert, accompanied by the complete audio from the occasion on CD. Featuring the greatest Wagnerian soprano of the 20th century, Birgit Nilsson, as soloist, this was an electrifying opening for the iconic building. Forty-six years on, the excitement of that magic night is still palpable, and Mackerras’ ability to bring the best out of the Orchestra of which he himself had once been a member remains awe-inspiring. A priceless memento of one of the greatest days in Australian music, this DVD+CD package captures two master-artists at the height of their creative powers with an orchestra playing at its peak. TRACKLISTING  DVD1 IntroductionGötterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)2 Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt (Siegfried’s Journey to the Rhine)3 Trauermarsch (Siegfried’s Funeral March)4 Schlussgesang der Brünnhilde (Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene) CDDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg)1 PreludeTannhäuser2 Elizabeth’s Greeting: Dich, teure Halle (Dear Hall of Song)Tristan und Isolde3 Prelude4 Liebestod (Love–Death)Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)5 Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt (Siegfried’s Journey to the Rhine)6 Trauermarsch (Siegfried’s Funeral March)7 Schlussgesang der Brünnhilde (Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene)

Renowned Brisbane mashup rock/electro/punk/poppin’ funtime outfit Regurgitator have cooked up a sugar-soaked record written especially for kids! Having performed at a number of children’s events in recent years, the inimitable band have developed the kids music project Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show - a typically manic playground that careers between punk, hiphop, funk, electro-pop and everything in between.  The new collection of songs - The Really Really Really Really Boring Album - is about as silly and cheeky as a record can get, whilst still offering a G-rating suitable for the tiny folk. Featuring instant-ear wriggles such as ‘The Box’ and ‘Games On My Computer’, it’s sure to bring a smile to long-terms fans as well as the young ones in their life. The band have never been more excited: “We’ve got our tiny amplifiers warmed up, our teeny drum kits tuned and plenty of soap for our filthy little mouths. We’re ready to shout till our voices are wrecked, if you’re ready to scream till your parents are deaf!” Keep all eyes out for Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show kids concerts throughout 2019.

 As any rabbit will tell you, a lot can happen in a decade. For Felicity, the past ten years have held all manner of changes: from marriage, to motherhood, to the increasing demands of a busy radio and television schedule. “The gathering and the song-collecting for this album has taken a few years,” says Felicity. “It comes with ten years of life experience. It’s about finding out that there needs to be truth in everything you do.” Frozen Rabbit reaffirms Felicity’s status as one of the nation’s best-loved and most respected singer-songwriters, showcasing her celebrated vocal poise, captivating lyricism, and reverence for country music tradition as never before. Produced by Felicity’s husband and long-time collaborator, Glen Hannah (Kasey Chambers), the album is one that radiates the warmth of family life.The lead single, Chain Of Joy, was co-written with Kim Richey and is an irresistible jaunt and a timely reminder to draw on our personal reserves of joy in the face of adversity. “There are many crazy things happening in the world and when you have little faces looking to you for guidance, I think it’s important to bring positivity and ideas they can understand. For them to know happiness and how to access that in their hearts when things aren’t so grand,” Felicity relates. Felicity, the host of ABC’s ‘Saturday Night Country’, has solidified herself as one of the most popular and recognisable country music artists in Australia. She has also accumulated an extensive list of accolades to her name. A seven-time Golden Guitar winner with seven studio albums behind her, she has also been nominated for an ARIA, won the CMA International Broadcaster award and performed for both the Pope and the President of the USA. Her 2018 album with Bennett and Bowtell, ‘Weeds’ is currently nominated for three Golden Guitars – with their first album winning two Golden Guitars. Recently signed to ABC Music, Felicity Urquhart’s back catalogue also finds a new home at the label; which is available today through all digital partners. 

Join ABC Jazz on a trip to the decline of human connection to its environment and reality, and the rise of inhuman order, control, rules, regulations and limits.Descent of the Freeis the latest album by Sydney-based double bass performer Elsen Price, an astonishing 40-minutes of virtuoso solo double bass drones, loops and overdubs. This is a concept album demonstrating the new world of double bass, an instrument often found in background of music, but here used to create new unique sounds and act as a fully capable tool for composition and performance.ABC Jazz label manager, Hugh Robertson, says, “This album is a remarkable creation. With just one instrument, Elsen has conjured up an entire world of sound, expression and emotion. It defies categorisation, except for one obvious thing: this is astounding music. Elsen Priceis an Australian Double Bassist and composer based in Sydney, Australia. As a featured artist, Elsen has performed both locally and internationally at BassEurope (Prague), Yilan International Art Festival (Taipei), Audio Foundation (Auckland), Sydney Festival, Vivid Festival, MONA and Woodford Folk Festival. He has performed alongside Josh Groban, Mike Patton (Faith No More), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and many others.Elsen has pursued a career specialising in New Music and World Music, performing new works by Andrew Batt-Rawden, David Hush, P. Kellach Waddle, Elena Kats-Chernin, Keyna Wilkins and many others. Elsen also collaborates with many traditional performers from Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Armenia. TRACK LISTING: Descent of the FreeI. Birth: The Spirit BeginsII. Divide: The Spirit SeparatedIII. Isolate: The Spirit ContainedIV. Assemble: The Spirit ControlledV. Fall: The Spirit RememberedAlternate Take – Isolate 1Alternate Take – Isolate 2  Elsen Price double bass

Join Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony as they take us through the fun and excitement of a day out attending a ballet performance.Come along on their big ballet day as they figure out what you can wear to the ballet, get some tasty popcorn, discover ‘The Alphabet Ballet’, and even plan a trip to the toilet at the theatre as you sing ‘The Toilet Song!’ The album features beautiful new songs that offer children an unforgettable first foray into ballet. The wide variety of musical styles featured on the album reflect the diversity of the wonderful art form that ballet is. In an exciting development, The Wiggles’ Big Ballet Day! sees the introduction of a brand-new Wiggly character,‘Shirley Shawn the Unicorn’, who is sure to be a new favourite with young fans. Blue Wiggle Anthony Field remarks, “We hope this brand new and fun Wiggly music inspires the child listeners’ imagination to dress up like the characters in the songs and express themselves through their own form of ballet. We really enjoyed making this album and I think the joy shows through, so we hope the young and older listeners love it too”. 

 triple j’s Hottest 100 remains the most talked about and listened to radio event of the year, counting down the hottest songs of 2018.This Hottest 100 Volume 26 is jam packed with the year’s biggest and best songs and wrapping up another huge year in music !   Track Listing: CD 1:  01. Ocean Alley - Confidence02. FISHER - Losing It03. Amy Shark - I Said Hi04. Travis Scott - SICKO MODE05. Billie Eilish - when the party's over06. Skeggs - Up In The Clouds07. The Wombats - Turn08. Childish Gambino - This Is America09. Dean Lewis - Be Alright10. Mallrat - Groceries11. Hayden James - Just Friends (Ft. Boy Matthews)12. A$AP Rocky Ft. Skepta - Praise The Lord (Da Shine)13. Ruby Fields - Dinosaurs14. Hockey Dad - Join The Club15. Wafia - I'm Good16. KIAN - Waiting17. The Rubens - Never Ever (Ft. Sarah)18. RÜFÜS DU SOL - Underwater19. Broods - Peach20. Hilltop Hoods - Leave Me Lonely21. Ball Park Music - The Perfect Life Does Not Exist 22. Vera Blue - All The Pretty Girls  CD 2: 01. Kendrick Lamar - All The Stars (with SZA)02. Cub Sport - Sometimes03. Ziggy Alberts - Love Me Now04. King Princess - 195005. Post Malone - Bettter Now06. Peking Duk - Fire07. DMA'S In The Air08. G Flip - About You09. Mac Miller - Ladders10. Bring Me The Horizon - MANTRA11. Angie McMahon - Missing Me12. Thundamentals - I Miss You13. Alison Wonderland - Church14. DZ Deathrays - Like People15. San Cisco - When I Dream16. BENE Soaked17. Baker Boy - Mr La Di Da Di18. Vance Joy - We're Going Home19. Khalid - Better20. The Presets - Martini21. Meg Mac - Give Me My Name Back 22. BROCKHAMPTON - BOOGIE  

 Nigel Westlake: Spirit of the Wild Diana Doherty oboeSteve Reich: The Desert Music Synergy VocalsSydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nigel Westlake and David Robertson “Nigel Westlake’s brand new oboe concerto, Spirit of the Wild teems with untamed life.” - Angus McPherson, Limelight MagazineTwo thrilling contemporary works combine on this new recording by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with the world premiere recording of Nigel Westlake’s Spirit of the Wild paired with the Australian premiere recording of Steve Reich’s legendary The Desert Music.Both works examine humanity’s relationship with the natural world, and our habit of destroying the wonders that have been gifted to us.Westlake’s concerto Spirit of the Wild was inspired by a trip to the pristine beauty of Tasmanian's Bathurst Harbour, which reminded the composer of “the preciousness of the wilderness, and of our human propensity to become subsumed by materialism, neglecting our connection to country and the wonders of the natural world.” Written for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Oboe Diana Doherty, and recorded here under the direction of the composer, Spirit of the Wild “teems with untamed life” (Limelight), a thrilling virtuoso work that is a major addition to Australian music.Reich’s The Desert Music features some of the finest examples of the composer’s trademark pulsating rhythmic energy, which serves as a setting for the poetry of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet William Carlos Williams. It is a meditation on the act of listening and the very purpose of music in a post-Hiroshima world where, as Williams writes: "Man has survived hitherto because he was too ignorant to know how to realize his wishes. Now that he can realize them, he must either change them or perish." Recorded live in concert at the Sydney Opera House, featuring internationally acclaimed ensemble Synergy Vocals, with SSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson conducting, this mesmerising performance is sure to be remembered for years to come. TRACKLISTING NIGEL WESTLAKE born 1958 Spirit of the Wild – Concerto for oboe1   I.     = 96 – cadenza2   II.    = 963   III.   Tranquillo (= 48) –            Liberamente  – = 96 –4   IV.  Agitato (= 96) Diana Doherty oboe Sydney Symphony OrchestraNigel Westlake conductorSTEVE REICH born 1936 The Desert Music5     I.     [Fast] –6     II.    [Moderate] –7     IIIa.  [Slow] –8     IIIb.  [Moderate] –9     IIIc.  [Slow] –10    IV.   [Moderate] –11   V.    [Fast] Synergy Vocals Sydney Symphony Orchestra David Robertson conductor  

Matt Withers guitar | Acacia Quartet ABC Classic is proud to announce the release of Imaginations, an album of Australian compositions for guitar and string quartet – including eight world premiere recordings – performed by Matt Withers and Acacia Quartet. Imaginations features the winning works of the 2018 Matt Withers Australian Music Composition Competition – Wade Gregory’s Water Music, Rick Alexander’s Storming and Nava Ryan’s Solitude – coupled with new commissions and pre-existing favourites for the ensemble combination.Established works by Richard Charlton, Nick Wales and the late Phillip Houghton are featured alongside premiere recordings of Robert Davidson’s solo guitar work Forest, Gordon Kerry’s String Quartet No. 5 and Moya Henderson’s Kudikynah Cave.The competition called upon composers to submit an original composition inspired by the visual artwork of Queensland based artist, Sue Needham. As with Needham’s artwork, the works featured on Imaginations are rich in sonic colour and texture, conjuring visions of striking natural landscapes and seascapes.“Matt is an inspiration in his artistry and in his boundless enthusiasm for new Australian works, and he has exceptional collaborators in the brilliant Acacia Quartet”, says ABC Classic Label Manager Hugh Robertson. “Imaginationsis an album rich in colour and movement, and gives audiences their first opportunity to hear recordings of a number of exciting new pieces.”Matt Withers is an ambassador for Australian music, a well-established classical guitar pedagogue, performer and role model for musicians across the country. His career to date has seen him perform with highly esteemed artists of the likes of William Barton, Sally Whitwell, many national orchestras as well as maintaining strong commitments in the leading Australian chamber music group Guitar Trek alongside Timothy Kain.In just eight years of existence, Acacia Quartet have won great respect for their versatile and inventive programs. They have recorded six albums, with ‘Blue Silence’ earning a nomination for an APRA-AMCOS Art Music ‘Award for Excellence’. TRACKLISTING RICHARD CHARLTON Shorelines* 1   I. Dark Horizon 2   II. The Lonely Shore 3   III. Storm DanceWADE GREGORY Water Music* 4   I. Clouds 5   II. River 6   III. OceanMatt Withers & Acacia Quartet ROBERT DAVIDSON 7   Forest*Matt Withers MOYA HENDERSON 8   Kudikynah Cave*NICK WALES 9   Harbour LightAcacia Quartet NAVA RYAN 10    Solitude*ROBERT DAVIDSON 11    Landscape*PHILLIP HOUGHTON In Amber 12    I. Dance 13    II. Dream 14    III. InitiationMatt Withers & Acacia Quartet GORDON KERRY String Quartet No. 5* 15    I. Bright Summer 16    II. Seascape 17    III. Scherzo 18    IV. Fantasia on ‘Hyfrydol’Acacia Quartet RICK ALEXANDER 19    Storming*Matt Withers & Acacia Quartet   *World Premiere Recordings Matt Withers guitarAcacia QuartetLisa Stewart violin Myee Clohessy violin Stefan Duwe viola Anna Martin-Scrase cello

Asmira Woodward-Page violin | Scott Davie piano ABC Classic is proud to announce the release of The Australian Album by Asmira Woodward-Page and Scott Davie. Originally released on the Artworks label in 2001, these ten pieces are composed by some of the most important names in Australian music in the first half of the 20th century, including Dulcie Holland, Miriam Hyde, Alfred Hill, Arthur Benjamin and Frank Hutchens. Australian music in the early 20th century was a curious beast, stuck in a Romantic-Impressionist European compositional idiom of sonatas and folk songs, as yet untouched by later efforts to establish an authentically national identity. These pieces, all composed between 1924 and 1947, are undoubtedly part of that European heritage – but they offer the first glimpses of an emerging Australian sound, and display a sure sense of craftmanship, underpinned by solid harmonic language but leaving room for individual characteristics that identify each composer’s personality.Beautifully performed and enthusiastically championed by two fine Australian performers, it is only fitting that these landmark works are now finally added to the ABC’s catalogue. Praised for her ‘transforming intensity and beauty of tone’ (New York Times), Australian violinist Asmira Woodward-Page is recognised as a unique and passionate artist who ‘speaks directly to her listeners’ (Sydney Morning Herald).Scott Davie is known to audiences as a soloist and chamber musician, as well as for various cross-disciplinary collaborations. In addition to performing, Scott is increasingly known for his writing and public speaking. He teaches and lectures at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. TRACKLISTINGDULCIE HOLLAND 1     Cradle SongMIRIAM HYDE 2     Dryad’s DanceDULCIE HOLLAND Sonata 3     I. Quasi recitativo – Andante – Vivo 4     II. Slow and somewhat rubato 5     III. AllegroFRANK HUTCHENS 6     Always AfternoonALFRED HILL 7     MazurkaALFRED HILL 8     In Such a NightARTHUR BENJAMIN Sonatina 9     I. Tranquilly flowing 10   II. Scherzo di stile antico 11   III. Rondo: Con moto ma non allegroALFRED HILL 12   Blue Evening 13   Valse Lente 14   Waltz Caprice Asmira Woodward-PageviolinScott Davie piano

Scott Davie presents a program of enchanting works for piano by Rachmaninoff - one of the world's favourite composers of works for piano. Sometimes playful, sometimes profound, his music always captures the imagination.The works in this recital traverse Rachmaninoff’s creative life, from the Six moments musicaux of his early maturity to the Variations on a theme of Corelli from his later years in exile. Performer Scott Davie has made an intensive study of Rachmaninoff’s music, including a PhD on the composer’s melodic language, and has travelled the world giving performances and lectures. In 2012 he gave the Australian premiere of the original version of Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano Concerto with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.In addition to his thriving career as a soloist and chamber musician, Scott Davie is a Lecturer in Piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.TRACKLISTING SERGEI RACHMANINOFF 1     Daisies, Op. 38 No. 32     Lilacs, Op. 21 No. 53     Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42Six moments musicaux, Op. 164     No. 1 in B-flat minor (Andantino)5     No. 2 in E-flat minor (Allegretto)6     No. 3 in B minor (Andante cantabile)7     No. 4 in E minor (Presto)8     No. 5 in D-flat major (Adagio sostenuto)9     No. 6 in C major (Maestoso)MODEST MUSSORGSKY transcr. RACHMANINOFF10   Hopak from Sorochintsy FairPYOTR IL’YICH TCHAIKOVSKY transcr. RACHMANINOFF11   Lullaby, Op. 16 No. 1NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV transcr. RACHMANINOFF12   Flight of the Bumble Bee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan Scott Davie piano