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Some of Queensland’s most remote and spectacular locations will welcome the haunting sounds of the didjeridu as it meets with the romantic hum of the classical strings during the Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s Xstrata MacAir 2008 Outback Tour.
The five-day Outback Tour will visit Cloncurry, Ernest Henry Mine, Mt Isa, Normanton and Karumba, bringing just a glimpse of the AFCM program to far western Queensland communities, some incredibly remote, and all spectacularly beautiful.
Legendary Australian didjeridu player William Barton joins with emerging musicians the Euphoria Quartet for this year’s tour.
From Townsville, the tour travels by MacAir to Mt Isa on Friday, 27 June where the artists will conduct masterclasses with local students and enjoy the Hard Times Mines Tour followed by a free community concert at the Civic Centre. The Tour moves to Cloncurry tonight.
On Saturday 28 June, artists will visit the Ernest Henry Mine for a staff concert and mine tour. Throughout the morning there will be an opportunity to experience the local culture and characters, including a meet and greet with some of the miners as they begin their early morning shift. The Tour will also enjoy an afternoon at the McKinlay Races; a real bush race meeting.
Next stop: Karumba. There will be a Warrenvale Station visit where artists can gain firsthand knowledge of the reality of living and working on a remote property in North Queensland followed by a concert at Ash’s Holiday Units that night.
Travelling up to the heart of the barramundi on Monday June 30, artists will spend the day exploring the beaches and beautiful surrounds of the Karumba area concluding with a spectacular Gulf Sunset Cruise. The Tour concludes on Tuesday after a special concert under the historic Normanton Railway Station.
The internationally acclaimed Australian Festival of Chamber Music will be staged over 10-days from July 4 to 12, hosted by Artistic Director Piers Lane. Featuring an outstanding core music program of 24 concerts with 28 world class artists performing 80 compositions along with 20 emerging artists, the AFCM is the largest chamber music festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
AAP