Cirrus@Austlit

'A Tasmanian Requiem - an ambitious musical production aimed at revealing the terrible legacy of the Black War and grieving the resultant loss - premiered in Hobart last week.'

'On December 26, 1847, a small group of Aboriginal people sat in the Lieutenant-Governor’s box at Hobart’s Theatre Royal watching a new pantomime. A local newspaper reported how “the natives … seemed gratified at their first public introduction to society in a place of amusement”. The Aboriginal spectators commanded as much, if not more, public attention than the performance itself.'  (Introduction)

'A unique nine-movement oratoria for seven voices and brass quintet, performed in front of an 84 minute filmic backdrop, premiered in Hobart in April 2018.

'Here, members of the creative team explain the genesis of this extraordinary cross-cultural artistic endeavour inspired by the events of Tasmania's Black War and its aftermath...' (Introduction)

'When British ships first arrived, seeking a new Paradise in what they called Van Diemen's Land, the island was already home to hundreds of Aboriginal families who called it lutruwita. But the British took little interest in Aboriginal culture. Lieutenant John Bowen, who was in charge of the first outpost at Risdon Cove in 1803, pronounced before ever seeing an Aborigine that they would not be 'of any use He thought he would be fortunate if he never saw them.'  (Introduction)

'Moving from idea, to concept, to libretto, to score, to production is always an extraordinary ride. A Tasmanian Requiem was something else again.' (Introduction)