Commissioned Work: Old Music New Life
These 5 songs have been specially selected from the Commissioned Works that the Festival of Music bring life to. These songs are usually only sung once by the Festival Choirs, and never again – until now! Here are some of the favourites since 2000, and as we are now 25 years into the 21st Century, let’s celebrate by giving ‘new life’ to some ‘old music’.
Won't Look Down
From 2009 “Remember Me”.
Words and Music by J. Schumann. Arranged by G. Lehmann.
Have you ever wondered how the early explorers survived as they trekked through the middle of Australia? John McDouall Stuart sailed out from England and landed in Australia in 1839. He was a skinny little kid who only grew in height to 5 foot 6 inches. He demonstrated his strength and hardiness as one of Australia’s well-known explorers. He was a good mapper, went on many expeditions into the ‘outback’ with others and always treated his men equally regardless of their backgrounds, referring to them as his ‘companions’.
Stuart had an uncanny knack of finding water by following the direction of the flying birds. He loved the wandering life of an explorer and surveyor and achieved his ambitions of reaching the ‘very heart’ of Australia. He was the first to find the route from the south of the continent to the north – this is now named the Stuart Highway.
Staying positive, and ‘keeping your eyes on the horizon’ would have been a necessity when faced with the harsh Australian outback.
Read the story in Won’t Look Down, take yourself back in time and try to imagine the strength and resilience that these early Australian explorers had so you can sing with knowledge, emotion and understanding.