Canberra International Music Festival / Living Poems of the Sea, Sally Walker, flautist. At The National Film and Sound Archive, May 3. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

Described as a meditation on the enthralling world of dolphins and whales in music, sound, words and images, the world premiere of this work with renowned Canberra flautist, Sally Walker, was a feast for the eyes and senses.

It proved to be even more than that, with an impassioned and persuasive plea to end noise and other pollution in our oceans and our planet.

Using a variety of flutes as well as percussive instruments, Walker created a haunting soundscape that complemented the beautiful, often dreamlike video on a large screen behind her. Often playing to pre-recorded music and voice as well as speaking much of the commentary live, it was an impressively mounted presentation that was both entertaining and informative.

Those of us lucky enough to have had close encounters with dolphins could relate to Walker’s description of her first encounter with dolphins at an early age. Her quest to communicate with them through sound was fascinating and the images of her on the bow of a boat speeding through the waters of Port Stephens, NSW, while playing the flute to a school of jumping dolphins was memorable.

Her lifelong fascination with cetaceans (marine mammals like dolphins and whales) has led her to friendships with people such as dolphin researcher Dr Olivia De Bergerac and others. Many of these people talk passionately in the video. Historical and recent footage is presented as well as first-hand accounts of amazing human-cetacean interactions.

Our complex relationship with these creatures is shown to have been both good and bad. The importance of protection and preservation of these and other creatures in our world is clearly stated.

The 70-minute presentation was spellbinding. During the bows, Sally Walker invited many of the people involved in the production of the show to join her on stage. Not being aware that these people were in the audience, it was a delightful opportunity to see and applaud so many of them including composer and writer Lyle Chan, scientist Dr Olivia De Bergerac, videographer Murray Farrell and Uncle Ossie Cruse.