The Bowerbird Collective - Where Song Began

Next date: Saturday, 07 June 2025 | 03:00 PM to 04:30 PM

The Bowerbird Collective performs their cinematic ode to songbirds, Where Song Began, featuring music spanning 300 years, spectacular visuals and immersive soundscapes.

"Like being sung to by the country"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Limelight

Performed more than 100 times in sold out halls across Australia and internationally, Where Song Began is a celebration of songbirds. Described as "spectacular" by Limelight Magazine in a 5-star review, the 50-minute program includes music spanning 300 years, from Johann Heinrich Schmelzer and J.S. Bach to Arvo Pärt and new commissions, enhanced by a film of evocative visual projections and an immersive soundscape.

Performed as part of the 2025 Lake Macquarie Dobell Festival.

"A delicate and beautiful fusion"
"Like being sung to by the country"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Limelight

 

Program:

• Arvo Pärt - Fratres for solo violin, 1977
• Sarah Hopkins - Reclaiming the Spirit, 1993
• Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending, 1917
• Chris Williams - bird, songs, seas, 2017
• Ross Edwards - Ecstatic Dance No.2, 1990
• Johann Heinrich Schmelzer - Cucu Sonata, 1664
• J.S. Bach - Prelude from Cello Suite No.1, c.1720
• David Lang - Anthochaera carunculata (Red Wattle Bird), New Commission, 2017
• Ngarra Burra Ferra - Traditional Indigenous hymn.

50 minutes without interval, followed by a Q&A.

 

Tickets:

$45 adults | $40 concessions | Pay what you can from $20 | $5 under 18s.

 

About the Bowerbird Collective

The Bowerbird Collective makes art for nature. Their work has received international acclaim, and their ARIA-nominated albums of threatened bird, frog and mammal calls, 'Songs of Disappearance', reached the top of the ARIA Album Charts ahead of Adele, ABBA and Ed Sheeran. Violinist Simone Slattery was a 2019 Churchill Fellow, received a PhD in Music Performance from the University of Adelaide and performs regularly with Australia's finest ensembles. Cellist Anthony Albrecht was Australia's first graduate of The Juilliard School's Historical Performance program and enjoys an international performance career. 

For more information visitwww.bowerbirdcollective.org

 

About the venue

Parking

Parking is available in designated areas surrounding the venue, including two accessible parking spaces in front of the theatre.

Accessibility

Accessible access to Rathmines Theatre is available via the ramp on the lake side of the theatre. There are two accessible parking spaces in front of the theatre. There is one accessible unisex toilet (right-hand transfer), and one accessible male toilet (ambulant).

Hearing loop

A Hearing Loop is available in the theatre. To receive the signal directly a patron can switch their hearing aid or cochlear implant process to the T Switch, or Telecoil position.

 

 

 

When

Location

Rathmines Theatre, nawayiba, Stilling Street & Dorrington Road Intersection, Rathmines, 2283, View in Google Maps