“JANDAMARRA – SING FOR THE COUNTRY”
Country: Australia
Jandamarra – Sing for the Country (Ngalanybarra muwayi.u) is a choral orchestral work by Paul Stanhope which tells the story of the Bunuba hero and warrior who, at the end of the nineteenth century, helped fight the invasion of a whole army of troopers, thereby saving his people.
The presentation documents the creative background of Jandamarra – Sing for the Country including the careful cultural negotiations, on-country research, traditional music sources and integration of music from Western and Indigenous Australian genres.
The role of the choral forces is an important element of focus in this process. The commission of the work came out of Lyn William’s initial steps in creating the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir and a desire to sing in language, and this will form an important element of the discussion.
Paul Stanhope is a Sydney-based composer and a leading figure in his generation. He has had prominent performances of his works in the UK, Europe, Asia as well as North and South America. After studies with Peter Sculthorpe, Paul studied for a time at the Guildhall School of Music in London in 2000.
In May 2004 Paul’s international standing was confirmed when he was awarded first place in the Toru Takemitsu Composition Prize. In 2010 Paul’s String Quartet no. 2 was premiered by the Pavel Haas String Quartet and toured by Musica Viva Australia throughout the country.
Paul is a Senior Lecturer in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney and the Artistic Chair of the Australia Ensemble. He was also Musical Director of the Sydney Chamber Choir from 2006-2015.