A concert celebrating the old and new, from stunning classical works for guitar to the soulful sounds of the G16 Jazz Ensemble.
The UNSW Guitar Ensemble gets us going with a selection of transcribed classical works from Vivaldi and Handel, featuring guest flautist Laura Chislett-Jones, taking us to the more contemporary sounds of Philip Glass, Mark Houghtonand then throwing us into a stirring new work from composer and UNSW music student Eitan Muir.
The UNSW G16 Jazz Collective features three Australian compositions and three classics from different jazz genres. From the virtuosic funk of the Brecker Brothers’ famous ‘Some Skunk Funk’ to the jazz standard ‘There Will Never be Another You’ to ‘Hoe Down’, Oliver Nelson’s inventive take on the rhythm changes chord progression, energetic grooves, creative improvisations and group interplay will feature.
The Collective is thrilled to present several Australian compositions. ‘Mandala’ is a reggae tune by saxophonist/composer Jeremy Rose, from the repertoire of the eminent Sydney band, The Vampires. ‘Metric Sheds’ is by UNSW ‘s Alister Spence. It features the piano and keyboard in a cheeky, semi-abstract rendering of rhythm changes, an interesting juxtaposition with the Oliver Nelson contrafact on the same chord sequence.
The centerpiece of the night will be ‘Blood Red Moon’ featuring vocalist Kit Spencer. Composed by Sandy Evans, this is a setting of a poem by refugee advocate Ngareta Rossell about the sinking of the SIEV X (Suspect Illegal Entry Vessel). In late 2001 a refugee boat on its way from Indonesia to Australia sank with the loss of 352 lives. The song tells the story of a refugee woman waiting at the wire of the Woomera Immigration Detention Centre for her family who never came.
We hope you can join us for this evening of superb sounds, sultry songs and sorrowful reminders that life is to be treasured and enjoyed.
Tickets: Concession $10 // Full $20
