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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
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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
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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
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Take off with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo as it returns to its iconic home on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle for The Sky’s the Limit!Taking inspiration from the centenary of the Royal Air Force and Scotland’s Year of Young People, the 2018 Tattoo celebrates unleashing the potential inside all of us.With over 1,200 performers, drawn from across the globe, the 100-minute spectacular takes the audience on an incredible journey following mankind’s obsession with flight.Our journey begins with the humble bumble bee and reflecting on our natural environment, with birds soaring through the skies, before taking off with hot air balloons and powered flight, heading upwards into the night’s sky and rocketing into outer space. Brought to life with stunning projections and new lighting technology, the Tattoo takes the audience on an incredible adventure, never before seen on the Esplanade.As always, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a truly global celebration, bringing together military and cultural performers from Oman, Malawi, Czech Republic, Belgium, United States of America, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
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Hit Country is one of Australia’s leading country compilation series. This specially themed version celebrates all things Australia with all the big names and rising stars of Aussie country (and a few Kiwis as well). Released to coincide with the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Australia Day, it is the perfect soundtrack to your summer. Featured artists include Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers, The Wolfe Brothers,, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Drew McAlister, Beccy Cole, Adam Brand, Travis Collins, Tori Forsyth, Troy Cassar-Daley and so much more!
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ABC Classics is thrilled to announce that its Discovery DVD, featuring Richard Gill and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, is back in print and available again for the first time in many years.Since Richard’s death in October, ABC Classics has been inundated by phone calls and emails from members of the public, wanting to know how they can access this DVD. That enthusiasm speaks to Richard’s ability to connect with people across genres and across ages – there aren’t many other people who were as popular on the ABC’s music quiz show Spicks & Specksas they were in the Sydney Opera House, conducting contemporary Australian operas.This DVD demonstrates perfectly Richard’s ability to reveal new information about even the best-known pieces of music, and to do so in a way that was approachable and understandable whether you were just discovering classical music or had devoted your life to it.“A composer could have three heads,” Richard once said; “what matters is that they wrote great music.” And it was always the music that counted for Richard. In Discovery he pulls these four great works apart with the enthusiasm of a curious child, and allows us to experience the sense of wonder that comes from discovering how something rich and complex works. “When music is introduced to us in the best possible circumstances, our world has the potential to become richer in any sense. Music evokes, stimulates, implies, suggests – playing upon the mind, the heart and the soul. Music has the capacity to change lives forever.” – Richard GillRichard Gill AO was one of Australia’s greatest musicians. His death in October 2018 prompted an outpouring of love and enthusiasm across the nation, and a resolve to continue his passionate advocacy for music education in schools. Richard never stopped teaching, and whether you were a novice or a virtuoso there was always something to be learned from his passion and tremendous depth of knowledge.‘Discovery’ was a series of concerts presented by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, combining exhilarating performances by the SSO and Richard’s trademark accessible commentary. Based on the series' principles of education through musical experiences, watch as Richard deconstructs the music and plays examples with the orchestra, explaining musical challenges and demystifying the classical repertoire.You always knew you loved the music. Now you can discover just how imaginative, miraculous and profound it really is. TRACKLISTINGIncludes full performances of each movement.BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5: Movement I, Allegro con brioHAYDN Symphony No. 94 (Surprise): Movement II, AndanteMOZART Symphony No. 35 (Haffner): Movement I, Allegro con spiritoBEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7: Movement II, Allegretto
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Damien Dempsey is an enigma. Born in Donaghmede, a suburb of Dublin, Dempsey is that rare gem of an artist, an ex-boxer – no less! – with the soul of a poet, whose heroes and influences are as diverse as Christy Moore, Shane McGowan, Elvis Presley, Luke Kelly and Bob Marley. Dempsey has released eight albums to date and is now something of a hero himself in his native Ireland, but it is his connection to the human condition that sets him apart from most of us. Union is a new album of collaborations featuring 14 songs from Damien’s extensive back catalogue. Every song is a duet with a special guest. Guests include Sinead O’Connor, The Dubliners, Kate Tempest, and so many more! Damien says: “I love collaborating with people who move me with their music and lyrics and soul and voice. And when we collaborate with music we always learn something from each other and take a little bit of each other’s spirit and magic away with us. Union is a myriad of styles and a bit of a melting pot but I adore melting pots and I reckon there’s something for everyone here.” One song on the new features Australia’s own – Dan Sultan! “I met the young Dan Sultan at a soundcheck in Mullingar in Westmeath one summers day in July,it was his first day in Ireland and he was in the town that his father’s people left for Australia a couple of generations before from. He was opening for me that night and he had relatives he'd never met from Mullingar coming to the show to see him so it was a special night. I fell in love with his incredible singing and soul and songs and vice versa and we became great friends. When I was next in Australia I came down to see him and he taught me a lot about his Mother’s culture, the Gurindji people among others, and it is the oldest and in my opinion most indigenous culture on earth. For instance, the Songlines that run the length and breadth of Australia,where the aboriginal people have the country mapped in song and can find their way across the continent without maps, just songs, should certainly be one of the wonders of the world. How a tribe would have their own territory mapped in a song, so they could find their way to the boundary with passed down songs, them meet the tribe of the next territory, trade with them and make friends , and they'd be taught the songs that would get them across the next territory. When the songs melody went high it meant their was high ground coming and vice versa for valleys or ravines. Deserts and waterholes and thick forests were warned of through the melody and rhythm and story of the song and the song gave you shortcuts and the best route through, the songs told of the best places to hunt and fish, and their beautiful dreamtime religion was wrapped up in all this as well. Incredible.”
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The ABC series Don’t Stop the Music inspired us all by showing us the life-changing power of music education. The three-part series followed the students of a primary school in an underprivileged area of Perth as they embarked on a music program, and shows the transformative effects this has on students, teachers and parents.The benefits of music begin to play out among the children, tempering disruptive behaviour, bringing serial truants back to the classroom, and providing a creative outlet for kids who hadn’t excelled in traditional academic areas.Now you can take home the official soundtrack, containing a selection of the classical works heard in each episode, plus music composed for the series by Ash Gibson Greig, and highlights from the children’s performance at the Perth Concert Hall which ends the series.It’s the perfect memento of the series, and a brilliant gift to help inspire a love of music in the mini musicians in your life. TRACKLISTING 1 Introduction 2 Mrs Musumeci 3 Seven Times Four 4 BACH Cello Suite No. 1: I. Prelude Michael Goldschlager cello5 Not Alone 6 VIVALDI Concerto ‘Alla Rustica’: I. Presto West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Albert Rosen conductor7 Micheál McCarthy 8 Anita’s Bootcamp 9 BEETHOVEN Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9 Sydney Philharmonia Choirs & Orchestra, Antony Walker conductor live recording10 PONCHIELLI Dance of the Hours (excerpt) from La Gioconda Orchestra Victoria, Richard Divall conductor11 Vox Pops12 The Wait’s Over13 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5: I. Allegro con brio Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Willem van Otterloo conductor14 Cody15 HANDEL Largo (Ombra mai fù)from Xerxes Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Nicolette Fraillon conductor16 The Brain on Music17 Taj18 CHOPINNocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 Ewa Kupiec piano19 Wrap Up20 Applause21 J. STRAUSS II Tritsch-Tratsch Polka Johann Strauss Ensemble, Russell McGregor conductor22 Don't Stop the Music23 TCHAIKOVSKY Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker Orchestra Victoria, Nicolette Fraillon conductor24 It’s an Obsession25 SIBELIUS Finlandia Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer conductor26 Nervous27 J. STRAUSS II Blue DanubeWaltz (excerpt) Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ponkin conductor28 Their First Concert29 WAGNER The Ride of the Valkyries from The Valkyrie West Australian Symphony Orchestra, David Measham conductor30 The Fair Go31 ROSSINIWilliam Tell – Overture: Galop Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Ola Rudner conductorPlus highlights from the ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ concert, live from the Perth Concert Hall:32 TRAD. The Irish WasherwomanClassic Sounds Fiddlers, Challis String Ensemble, Rachel John conductor33 TRAD. London Bridge Medley Just Brass Armadale, Michelle Wilde conductor34 TRAD SOUTH AFRICAN SiyahambaEneksis Vocal Ensemble, Challis Choir, Micheál McCarthy conductor Unless otherwise indicated, all tracks composed and performed by Ash Gibson Greig.
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ABC Classics presents a vibrant world of musical movement for piano four-hands.Invisible Dancesis the new album from acclaimed Australian pianists Liam Viney and Anna Grinberg, who perform as the Viney-Grinberg Piano Duo. Through scenes of fantasy and poetry, these musical tableaux highlight the sheer colour and brilliance of piano duets.This album is permeated by the spirit of dance felt but not seen: from Debussy’s archaic musings on minuet and ballet forms in his Petite Suite, through the obsessive moto perpetuos, French overture, and Austrian folk Ländler in Schubert’s ‘Fantasie’, into the dazzling world of Stravinsky’s dancing puppets and carnival acrobats.Two Australian pieces generate interesting resonances alongside their European counterparts. Roy Agnew’s Green Valley is a modest pastoral scene of exquisite beauty that echoes the outdoor scene of Debussy’s En bateau. Tim Dargaville’s Invisible Dance provides a counterpoint to the extroverted rhythmic display of Petrushka, a poignant postlude to an album animated by movement and motion.Liam Viney andAnna Grinberg enjoy an international performance profile involving festivals, major series, live radio broadcasts, orchestras and CD releases. Described as ‘barnstorming’ (The Australian) and ‘the most compelling case for the beauty and variety of two piano repertory this reviewer has ever heard’ (Los Angeles Times), the duo is committed to exploring classics of the two-piano and four-hand repertoire, but also contributes to the ongoing expansion of that literature through commissioning composers. They spent a decade in the United States before taking up their current position as Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Queensland, Australia. TRACKLISTINGCLAUDE DEBUSSY 1862–1918Petite Suite1 I. En bateau2 II. Cortège3 III. Menuet4 IV. Ballet ROY AGNEW 1891–19445 Green Valley FRANZ SCHUBERT 1797–18286 Fantasie in F minor, D940 JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH 1685–1750arr. GYÖRGY KURTÁG born 19267 Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (God’s Time is the Best of All Times): Sonatina from Cantata BWV106 ‘Actus Tragicus’ IGOR STRAVINSKY 1882–1971Three Movements from Petrushka8 I. Russian Dance9 II. Petrushka’s Cell10 III. Shrovetide Fair TIM DARGAVILLE born 196211 Invisible Dance Viney-Grinberg DuoLiam Viney pianoAnna Grinberg piano
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Deep in the American South, a little boy named Sailboat lives in a slanted house held up with a stick. His mother hasn't set foot outside the house in years, his father drives a car with no doors, his grandmother is in hospital and his best friend cannot blink. But when Sailboat finds a ‘tiny guitar’ and his grandmother asks him to write a song for her, the boy overcomes all of this adversity to write the greatest song ever written.The soundtrack to the heart-warming, award-winning film features all-new recordings by Australia’s favourite guitarists, the Grigoryan Brothers, playing famous tunes re-arranged for guitar duo – including ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘House of the Rising Sun’, ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’ and more.It’s a film the whole family will love, and a soundtrack that any music lover will cherish.The Grigoryan Brothers will be performing the soundtrack live at a series of special film screenings across Australia in November and December.Saturday 17 November – Melbourne – Rivoli Cinemas, Hawthorn EastSaturday 24 November – Sydney – Chauvel Cinemas, PaddingtonSaturday 1 December – Adelaide – Capri Cinema, GoodwoodSaturday 8 December – Hobart – State Cinema, North HobartSaturday 15 December – Brisbane – Elizabeth Cinemas, Elizabeth Grigoryan BrothersSlava Grigoryan guitarLeonard Grigoryan guitar All songs Traditional except Distancia (track 7), composed by Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, and Oh Susanna (track 8), composed by Stephen Foster. All tracks arranged by Slava & Leonard Grigoryan.
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The latest release in the Australian Composer Series features orchestral works by Andrew Schultz: his Symphony No. 3 Century, as well as the works Peace and August Offensive.Centurywas commissioned for the celebrations surrounding the centenary of Australia’s national capital, Canberra, in March 2013, and premiered in front of an audience of 150,000 people. Chris Wallace of the Canberra Times wrote, “Century is excellent. It is epic. It is powerful and beautiful.” The work speaks to the fascinating history of our purpose built ‘bush capital’, and the struggle between idealism and practicality that was inherent in its construction. It sounds instantly Australian, celebrating the abundance of our natural environment while also warning of its intensity and brutality.Peace was written in 2013 for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and takes its name from one of JMW Turner’s best-known paintings, Peace – Burial at Sea (1842). This is not a peace of tranquillity, however – rather the uneasy peace that forms after a period of violence and conflict. August Offensive, by contrast, is a very fast, virtuosic and violent work which was premiered at the ANZAC Day dawn service at Gallipoli on 25 April 2013. Commissioned for the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs, it commemorates the horrendous battles in August 1915 which saw some of the most deadly fighting of the entire campaign.Born in Adelaide in 1960, Andrew Schultz grew up in regional New South Wales and Victoria before his family moved to Brisbane, where he completed his secondary schooling. His teachers and mentors included Colin Brumby, George Crumb, David Lumsdaine and Luciano Berio and he studied at the Universities of Queensland, Pennsylvania and King’s College London. Currently Professor of Music at UNSW in Sydney, his TRACKLISTINGANDREW SCHULTZ born 1960Symphony No. 3 ‘Century’, Op. 911 I. Struggle2 II. Dream3 III. Create4 Peace, Op. 935 August Offensive, Op. 92 Tasmanian Symphony OrchestraHamish McKeich conductor The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s Australian Composer series is one of the most important recording projects in the history of Australian music, making available the orchestral works of a wide range of Australian composers,performed by one of the world’s finest small orchestras.
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DEBUT ALBUM FROM TODDLER-FRIENDLY INDIE-POP BAND FEAT. MEMBERS OF LEMONHEADS, SMUDGE & MORE! ABC KIDS' newest music superstars The Sticker Club are a group that echo the bubblegum pop of late 60s cartoon bands like The Archies and Bananas Splits, mixed with the indie-rock pedigree of the band’s members Nic Dalton (Lemonheads, Plunderers), Alison Galloway (Smudge), Nellie Afford (Agnes Kain), Ben Whitten (Intercontinental Playboys) and Dizzi Cassidy (The Argon Room, Faker). The band’s debut album Scratch ‘n’ Sniff is released today through ABC KIDS & Half A Cow. The Sticker Club formed in 2012 when Nic realised he had written a whole stack of songs for his toddlers and should put a “kids” band together, so he asked his friends Alison and Ben, who had daughters the same age as his. Ben, Alison and Nic’s daughters were initially in the band (singing, dancing and playing trombone, flute and clarinet) but the three girls quit (“we don’t want to be in a kid’s band”) and were replaced by Dizzi on the bass. The band liked the sound that trombone, flute and clarinet created, so charts were written by Jenna Cave for five of the songs for the album, played by top-shelf Sydney jazz musicians. The band describe themselves as “a bit different to other kids’ bands because we’ve got the double wah-wah guitars and we’re quite rock and roll - kind of like 60s garage meets Don Spencer.” The first song Nic wrote for the band was ‘(Can You Do) The Peanut’, written on a family camping holiday down the New South Wales south coast. A female lead singer was required so in stepped Nellie, who also supplied one of the Sticker Club’s most treasured songs “Caterpillar”. Nic started recording Scratch ‘n’ Sniff in 2014 ... before the birth of three babies got in the way! The album was completed and mixed recorded by famed producer Tim Kevin (Holly Throsby, Youth Group) at Tempe River Studio in Marrickville. Sixteen songs in all: from the bubblegum pop of ‘Darcy’ and ‘New School Tomorrow’ to the toddler- friendly ‘Can You Hear The Doggie?’ and ‘Kissiasaurus’ with some psychedelic rock thrown in courtesy of ‘(Doin’) The Echo’ and ‘Magic Flower Power Hour’. The band perform regularly at the It’s A Family Affair concert series at Sydney’s Petersham Bowling Club, and have gathered a loyal fanbase after talk-of-the-town appearances at the Dress Up Attack Festival, Summer Hill School, Yeo Park Infants fetes, and the Inner West Music Festival.
