Concert 18, CIMF: “The Bundian Way”. At Kambri Cultural Centre. Reviewed by DANTE COSTA.

“YOU can’t explain it, but you can feel it,” Koori elder Uncle Ossie says as he speaks on the beauty and significance of the Bundian Way.

This Canberra International Music Festival concert was a strong testament to that taking the audience on an immersive and visceral journey from snowy Mount Kosciuszko to picturesque Twofold Bay on the south coast.

The concert focused on and admired the beauty of Australia’s diverse landscapes and celebrated the collective narrative of the country we all call home.

Featuring  Eric Avery and Anna McMichael on violin; Ben Ward on double bass; Jason Noble on clarinet; Louise Devenish on percussion and narrations by John Blay, the ensemble explored the magical and wondrous sights and sounds of the old path against the backdrop of Damian Barber’s multi-media work “Scenes from the Bundian Way”.

The program featured four world-premiere pieces by Brenda Gifford, Eric Avery, Kate Neal and Damian Barbeler that explored the  journey of the Bundian Way and the pathway to finding peace with the land.

A backdrop on the screen behind the stage set the scene for the programmatic music. It was difficult to tell when each piece finished and when the next began, however this felt natural as if all the pieces had merged into one to convey a greater story that reached far beyond the context of the music itself.

The artists took to the stage, and immediately began weaving music together – like a magical tapestry of sounds. Beginning the journey in the snowy caps of Mount Kosciuszko, the cold and brisk winds were personified by the icy harmonies and crisp articulation by the strings. It conveyed a certain raspiness that accompanied the harsh and freezing scenery.

The sublime scenes of Wilkinson’s Creek were kept alive with the fluid melodies of the ensemble. The following scenes felt like a breath of fresh air as Eric Avery took to the stage, conjuring up sweet and lyrical melodies that contrasted the preceding pieces.

The warm harmonies illuminated the dark room and created a special buzz of excitement. Colourful bursts of sound were then shared between the violin and clarinet as the bass maintained a constant motion with pacing pizzicato lines. It felt as if one was walking along the rainforest and could hear the distant calls of lyrebirds in the trees.

The bass is not often heard as a solo instrument, but this next section displayed the versatility of the instrument that Ward executed with confidence and conviction. The solo began with a rumbling passage in the lower register of the instrument and skilfully worked its way up into a warm and sonorous melody at the top.

The musicians were able to share with the audience the curiosity and wonderment of the journey and the stories of nature and the cultures of the Bundian Way. The approach to the way in which the instruments were used embodied that of the bush itself – it was raw and authentic and was a harkening back to the old way. It hence promoted the idea of simply being immersed in country and appreciating nature and the perspectives that helped shape it.