Symphony Central Coast will present Celestial Emu at 2.30pm on Sunday, June 25, at Central Coast Grammar School as part of the 5 Lands Walk weekend.
The multimedia symphony combines Australian indigenous song, storytelling and dance, orchestra, choir and scientific presentation.
The work is based on the observations of the annual cycle of the Celestial Emu (the dark spaces in the Milky Way) and how it has encouraged songs, traditions and dances of nations who have lived on this continent for generations.
The Milky Way holds a significant place in the traditions of First Nations cultures across Australia – in particular, the Kamilaroi and Euahlayi peoples in northern and north-western NSW.
Symphony Central Coast Artistic Director and Conductor Steven Stanke worked closely with Kamilaroi and Euahlayi law man Michael ‘Ghillar’ Anderson to create a respectful and moving orchestral and choral tribute to the sky knowledge that is the Celestial Emu and how it relates to the life cycle of the emu on earth.
The Celestial Emu changes position in the early evening sky, depending on the season, as the earth rotates around the sun.
As the Emu changes position, it alters in appearance, which connect to earthly culture and resources – emu mating, availability of eggs, maturation of the young and the summer dry.
Also on the program is Eleanor Gilbert’s ground-breaking film Star Stories of the Dreaming, an extended interview with ‘Ghillar’ where he tells, in detail, the story and meaning of the Emu in the Sky.
The annual cycle is a metaphor for life itself, with birth, maturity, decay and renewal an ever-present phenomenon for all living creatures and this work takes this cycle as a basis for framing relevant stories, songs and, where possible, dances.
Tickets can be booked at www.symphonycentralcoast.com.au
Source:
Symphony Central Coast