RED
DIRT
HYMNS
“one of the most purely enjoyable hours of music it’s been my pleasure to experience.”
Canberra CityNews, May 2024
A hymnal to the country under our feet.
Born in a time of fire and darkness, grief, and loss, and then fragile, tender hope, the Red Dirt Hymns are songs of awe and praise, dedicated not to a god, but to the land.
Performed by the ever-daring voices of Luminescence Chamber Singers alongside two category defying improvisers, Harley Coleman (electric guitar), and Freya Schack-Arnott (cello), Red Dirt Hymns is a living songbook that spans art music, folk song, country ballad, and Aussie rock. Words by sixteen contemporary Australian writers (poets, essayists, and folksingers) unfold to the evocative imagery of Sammy Hawker, whose art is created within the fabric of country itself: saltwater, limestone and eucalypt.
From Ellen van Neerven’s dark clouds to John Kinsella’s abundant gardens, Red Dirt Hymns does what a hymnal is meant to do: it draws us closer – to each other, and to the light and shade of our wide brown land.
ABOUT THE RED DIRT HYMNS
The Red Dirt Hymns began as composer Andrew Ford's lockdown project. He commissioned 20 Australian writers to come up with some lyrics for him. As texts trickled in, he began writing simple songs, and sending them to the singers in his address book.
It was always Andrew’s intention that these songs could be performed by any sort of singer - trained, untrained, soloists, community groups, classical singers, jazz singers, and the scores are sparse, composed often for just one voice and one instrument. Not a song cycle, but a living songbook, the Red Dirt Hymns are an invitation to arrange, re-arrange, re-imagine, and re-work with whatever musical forces are at hand.
Individual songs from Red Dirt Hymns have been sung by the likes of Gian Slater, Robyn Archer, Lotte Betts-Dean with Sean Shibe and Joseph Havlat, Jess Hitchcock, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, jazz students of Queensland Conservatorium, and more.
In collaboration with Roland Peelman, Freya Schack-Arnott, Hilary Geddes, and Harley Coleman, Luminescence has arrived at our own our versions and interpretations, but above all the hymns are about singing together in community.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
The last five numbers in this product include parts to be sung by community singers. These are beautiful, simple tunes that can be taught in one workshop (2-3 hours), and can be performed by community singers of any age, experience, and skill level.
This workshop is typically delivered with at least 4 members of Luminescence, alongside instrumentalists Freya (cello) and Harley (guitar),
The penultimate number To Whom Do We Sing has the opportunity for 4 part SATB divisi in the community choir. This is most successful when the community participation element includes existing choirs who are comfortable singing in 4 part harmony, and whose choristers may learn this number in advance, either in an additional workshop with a member of Luminescence, with their regular choir leader, or via practice tracks.
ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Where Luminescence’s touring schedule allows, it is possible to arrange additional community engagement and/or professional development opportunities, targeted to various skill levels and interests, including:
Vocal/choral group workshops delivered by members of Luminescence (or full ensemble), targeted at various skill levels
1:1 vocal coachings delivered by members of Luminescence
Conducting masterclasses for community choir leaders, delivered by Roland Peelman, AJ America, or Dan Walker
Guitar/jazz masterclasses or 1:1 lesson with Harley Coleman
Cello masterclasses or 1:1 lesson with Freya Schack-Arnott.
These opportunities are subject to negotiated fees and schedule.
LUMINESCENCE
Luminescence champions our original and most versatile instrument: the human voice.
Comprised of six professional singers and led by mezzo soprano AJ America, Luminescence has emerged as one of Australia's most adventurous ensembles, earning an enviable reputation as a uniquely versatile ensemble. Luminescence performs both amplified and unamplified repertoire that spans renaissance polyphony, folk song, and contemporary art music of all kinds.
Recent highlights include performances at Phoenix Central Park and Sydney Opera House, collaborations with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, recordings and releases with ABC Classics, and a major new music project developed in collaboration with GRAMMY Award winning composer and producer William Brittelle and sound designer Tilman Robinson.
PROGRAMME
Respair (text: Felicity Plunkett)
My Octopus Teacher (text: Alison Flett)
Waiting for Clouds (text: Martha Marlow)
Dark Cloud (text: Ellen van Neerven)
Isolation Hymn (text: Judith Bishop)
Hymn of the Garden (text: John Kinsella)
Stand and Weep (text: Jill Jones)
The Shape of a Vase (text: Erik Jensen)
Between Birds (text: MerlindaBobis)
Syreeni (text: Maria Takolander)
Gone (text: Jodie Albiston)
What Desire Knows (text: Sarah Holland-Batt)
Looking for Corners (text: Melanie Horsnell)
Our Mother’s Heart (text: Kate Fagan)
To Whom Do We Sing (text: Mark Wakely)
This is to You (text: Philip Harvey)
65 minutes no interval
PROJECT DETAILS & REQUIREMENTS
65 minutes no interval
Minimum touring party of 9-10 people, including 6 singers, 2 instrumentalists, director, and sound engineer.
High quality PA system needed
Projection capacity and simple performance/theatre lighting
2027 availability: mid June - mid August
Indicative performance fees: $5000 - $10,000 including 1 workshop. OR minimum fee $2500 + box office share. Subject to venue size, travel/accommodation/per-diem provisions. Please be in touch if you are interested in presenting this performance, but the cost is prohibitive - we are always open to exploring alternative models, partnerships, and will seek support from funding bodies to help cover touring costs.
Detailed technical specifications available on request.
PAST PERFORMANCES
-
Thursday 2 May 2024 | National Museum of Australia
Presented by Canberra International Music Festival -
Sunday 9 November 2025 | Orange Civic Theatre
Presented by Orange Civic Theatre, featuring singers from Orange Regional ConservatoriumThursday 13 November 2025 | Joan Sutherland Theatre Performing Arts Centre, Penrith
Featuring singers from The Penrith Conservatorium ChoirsFriday 14 November 2025 | Bowral Memorial Hall
Featuring singers from Moss Vale High School ChoirsSunday 16 November 2025 | Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre
In partnership with The Q, Luminescence Children’s Choir, and Music For Canberra.Sunday 23 November 2025 | Four Winds, Bermagui
Presented by Four Winds, Bermagui
-
AJ America
mezzo soprano
-
Josephine Brereton
soprano
-
Harley Coleman
electric guitar
-
Lucien Fischer
baritone
-
Andrew Ford
composer
-
Rachel Mink
soprano
-
Roland Peelman
arranger and musical director
-
Freya Schack-Arnott
cello
-
Alasdair Stretch
bass
-
Dan Walker
tenor
Red Dirt Hymns unfolds to the evocative images of artist Sammy Hawker, whose work is driven by an interest in the immaterial and material presences within sites, spaces and the body.
Her chromatograms artworks are a co-creation between local trees, their stories, and the humans that listen to them. The process of chromatography facilitates the visual expression of vibrant matter. The hues and patterns that form cannot be controlled by the artist and the result can be understood as a self-portrait of the tree.
Hawker’s chromatograms are set in a slowly evolving video, featuring 64 chromatograms from Australian trees.