The Strelitzia Piano Trio will perform a vibrant concert on Saturday 10 December at Sydney’s Seymour Centre, combining classical chamber music with puppetry and video.

Imagine the aural joys of a classical chamber music concert starring a trio of top Australian musicians, performing new work by some of Australia’s finest composers.

Now add the visualisation of master puppetry, moving photography, musically attuned film, and a Russian fairytale. Hallucinating yet?

The Musica Viva Award-winning Strelitzia Piano Trio features Eleanor Betts on cello, Victoria Jacono-Gilmovich on violin, and Evgeny Ukhanov on piano. Aural Hallucinations is a one-off concert, comprising four distinct works by leading composers, together with visual artists.

I usually don’t write about piano or classical music, because I don’t think my words could do them justice. But I just have to tell you about this gorgeous CD by EMI Classics. Passion Piano is a compilation of piano works by some of the greatest composers of all time, performed by some of the world’s most renowned piano players. From an incredible, fast-paced, two-person rendition of Joplin’s The Entertainer, to a soft and subdued Pavane pour une infante défunte (“Pavane for a Dead Princess” by Maurice Ravel) performed by Mikhaïl Rudy, this CD is a perfect set of exquisitely played piano songs.

There is something about the way these songs were recorded, between 1958 and 1999, that gives the album a textured, nostalgic feel. Many of the songs are old recordings that have been re-mastered and although this would have clarified the sound, they still retain a wonderful old-world feel.

Other highlights of the album include a rousing version of Liszt’s La campanella Etude no. 3 d’après Paganini (part of the “Grand Paganini Etudes”), and a clear and confident Clair de lune played by 20th century French pianist and composer Samson François. I do find Aldo Ciccolini’s version of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie no 1 tedious in comparison to, say, Stephanie McCallum’s 2005 recording. This confirms that the more energetic songs on this album shine brighter than some of the softer numbers.

In its entirety, Passion Piano is the best collection of piano songs I have come across so far – there is certainly a great deal of passion for piano music bottled up in this treasure. Recommended. Five stars.

Passion Piano (EMI Classics – 2008)

1 Rimski-Korsakov – Le Vol du Bourdon / Georges Cziffra
2 Mozart – Marche turque / Christian Zacharias
3 Beethoven – Sonate “Clair de lune” (extr.) / Eric Heidsieck
4 Beethoven – Pour Elise / Alexis Weissenberg
5 Schubert – Moment musical, D. 780 no 3 / Claudio Arrau
6 Chopin – Polonaise, “Héroïque” / Maurizio Pollini
7 Chopin – Nocturne, op. 15 no 1 / Martha Argerich
8 Chopin – Etude, op. 10 no 3 / Youri Egorov
9 Schumann – Rêverie / Aldo Ciccolini
10 Schumann – Intermezzo / Sviatoslav Richter
11 Liszt – La Campanella / François-René Duchâble
12 Rachmaninov – Prélude en ut dièse mineur, op. 3 no 2 / Jean-Philippe Collard
13 Rameau – La Poule / Georges Cziffra
14 Debussy – Clair de lune / Samson François
15 Debussy – Children’s corner (extr.) / Michel Béroff
16 Satie – Gymnopédie no 1 / Aldo Ciccolini
17 Ravel – Pavane pour une infante défunte / Mikhaïl Rudy
18 Falla – Lamour sorcier (extr.) / Gabriel Tacchino
19 Granados – Andaluza / Teresa Llacuña
20 Poulenc – Hommage à Edith Piaf / Gabriel Tacchino
21 Joplin – The Entertainer / Katia & Marielle Labèque

If you’re interested in the CD, send me a personal message and I’ll let you know where you can get a copy

It’s been 17 years to the day since Jeff Buckley released his debut album, Grace, and to commemorate this anniversary, musicisglorious is officially declaring today Jeff Buckley Day. So, pick up and dust off your old copy of Grace and take a journey with me through one of the greatest albums of the 90s.

“Scotty”

We all know Jeff’s story – born on November 17, 1966 in Anaheim, California and raised as Scotty Moorhead, he died in a tragic twist of fate by drowning at the age of 30. He was two years older than the age at which his semi-famous musician father, Tim Buckley, had died from a heroin overdose. Although Jeff was taken so soon, he left behind some great work that has made an enormous impact on the musical community.

Musical style

Grace was first released in 1994 by Columbia Records. Although it is a conglomeration of very different styles, Jeff’s distinct voice reigns over all eleven official tracks. His vocals are fragile yet emotionally charged, wide-ranging and focused. He was best known for combining his solo vocals with an electric guitar, a break from the usual vocals/acoustic guitar combo. Jeff wrote most of the songs on the album either himself or in collaboration with a musical partner. He was also very eclectic in his musical tastes, which ranged from Led Zeppelin to classical music to his favourite musician, the Pakistani Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Jeff’s first ever songs

The first song that Jeff ever wrote was the aggressive, rock-driven “Eternal Life”, according to his biography Dream Brother (David Browne, published in 2001). Jeff describes what the song means on his Live at Sin-é release (1993):

“This is a song about…it’s an angry song. Life’s too short and too complicated for people behind desks and people behind masks to be ruining other people’s lives, initiating force against other people’s lives, on the basis of their income, their colour, their class, their religious beliefs, their whatever…”

The second song Jeff ever wrote was “Unforgiven”, a ballad which he renamed “Last Goodbye” on Grace. According to sources, the song was inspired by a relationship he had in Los Angeles with an older German woman. It even has a lovely strings part in the second half of the song, filling out the sound beautifully. Jeff also wrote, “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over”, another song about a relationship, this time about the ending of his first serious one with artist Rebecca Moore.

“Grace”

The title track of the album was released as its first single. It’s based upon an instrumental song called “Rise Up to Be” written by Jeff’s collaborator, the musician Gary Lucas. Jeff added lyrics and renamed it “Grace”, which Jeff says is about “not feeling so bad about your own mortality when you have true love.” It’s another song about Rebecca Moore, who played a big role in Jeff’s life during the formation of his musical career.

What are your favourites on the album?

“So Real”, a track written by Jeff’s guitarist Michael Tighe, is my first choice. It was released as the third single from the album. Tighe came up with the incredibly entrancing guitar riff and song formation, and Jeff made up the lyrics to the song while hearing it for the first time. A dark and softly intense song, Tighe’s excellent, off-beat structure and Jeff’s poetic lyrics make this song so memorable. I love the way it crescendos into rock chaos only to slow down, with Jeff darkly whispering, “I love you…but I’m afraid to love you”. You HAVE to listen to this live version (plus, you’ve got to check out Jeff wearing an amazingly awesome fur coat!).

Another favourite is “Dream Brother”, a Middle Eastern-influenced song that features Indian tablas (drums) and vibes. It was written by Jeff, his bassist Mick Grondahl and his drummer Matt Johnson. Jeff penned and recorded the entire lyrics to the song within the space of a few hours. According to Browne, the lyrics relate to his friend Chris Dowd, who was considering breaking up with his pregnant girlfriend, a scenario that resonated with Jeff’s own childhood. Browne wrote, “The lyrics found Jeff pleading with Dowd not to do what his own father had done to him”:

Don’t be like the one who made me so old
Don’t be like the one who left behind his name
Because I waited for you like I waited for him
And nobody ever came

The song draws you in with a repetitive guitar riff only to break into a charged chorus, finally turning into sweeping guitar landscapes, bold chord shifts and crashing cymbals.

“Forget Her” is also an incredibly catchy and impassioned tune written by Jeff, about a broken-hearted man trying to “forget her”. It was released posthumously and can be found on the Legacy Edition of Grace, a 2004 remastered reissue of the album which is the copy I have.

What about the covers?

There are three covers on Grace, two of which are standout. The obvious mention goes to Jeff’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, which is probably the most well-known of his Grace songs. It’s also arguably the best cover of a song I’ve heard, overshadowing Cohen’s slow-paced, church choir original in both fame and delicate beauty. The second standout cover is Jeff’s absolutely gorgeous version of Benjamin Britten’s traditional English song “Corpus Christi Carol”, where his vocals are angelic and almost transcendent against gentle guitar strumming.

Celebrate Jeff!

So, if you haven’t got your hands on Grace just yet, you should buy it. You should also definitely get Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition), a 2003 double album of live tracks from Jeff’s early café-playing days in 1993. I think Live at Sin-é (pronouned shee-nay) is a selection of Jeff’s best work, with wonderful forays into Bob Dylan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It’s absolutely amazing, a must-have addition to your CD collection. Another record is Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk, a collection of the alternative, rock-infused tracks Jeff was working on when he passed away, released posthumously in 1998.

Happy 17 years for Grace Jeff, thank you incredibly for the beautiful music!

Ah, Katie Noonan. I’ve seen her perform a lot of times now: with The Captains, in duet with Karin Schaupp and now with her jazz trio of 14 years, Elixir, on Wednesday night. I’ve also interviewed her for this blog. As my boyfriend joked, “musicisglorious is Katie Noonan featuring everyone else.” Well, she does have a lovely voice. It’s pretty and fluttery and has a wide range. I was also excited to hear her sing alongside a saxophone player, and in Elixir it’s no less than her husband Zac Hurren, who accompanies with a soprano sax. To complete the trio was renowned Australian guitar player Stephen Magnusson, whose intuitive and skillful guitar playing was a pleasure to watch and listen to.

They played at Camelot Lounge in Marrickville – perhaps you’ve heard of this underground venue, run by Yaron Hallis, frontman of Monsieur Camembert and founder of the other quirky Marrickville venue (in a state of limbo at the moment), Qirkz. Camelot Lounge is filled with similarly peculiar décor, including the conspicuous prevalence of camel-themed ceiling-hangings, posters and stuffed toys (Camelot – “camel” “lot”!) As Noonan told the audience about the curious red shaker she was using halfway through the set, “It’s the only venue where you ask, ‘do you have a shaker?’ and they say, ‘yeah, but it’s an apple’.” With just a few dim lights and such interesting surrounds, it was suitable for the artistically inclined Elixir, who took to the stage wearing dark suits and dresses, Noonan with thick slicks of glitter eyeshadow framed by her characteristic tumbles of honey curls.

As with her previous performances, it was an enjoyable concert. The most thought provoking addition to the night was Hurren’s saxophone playing which, at first, caught me off-guard. He didn’t eject the smooth and sultry sound that I’m used to hearing from the saxophone (and rather like), but a blowy, textured sound, as if he was blowing into the reed and it just wasn’t going through. Sometimes he would end his phrases with what sounded like pure, pained exhalation without producing music at all. I don’t know if this is a certain style of playing the soprano sax, but it was still relaxing to listen to, albeit confusing. It certainly filled out the sound of the band, contributing a warm, earthy feel to the light melodies of Noonan and Magnusson’s parts.

Melbourne-based Magnusson, who plays with several bands, began performing on the guitar at the age of 10 and started learning improvised guitar playing at 13. You can really pick up on his love of music – the way he closed his eyes while playing, losing himself in his riffs and licks. Hurren did the same, enjoying the flow of the music with a satisfied smile, while Noonan exclaimed phrases of encouragement at her counterparts’ various solos. What was especially cute was the way Noonan and Hurren looked at each other throughout the gig, a husband and wife connecting over their shared passion for music and performance.

Noonan said they played their upcoming sophomore album, First Seed Ripening, pretty much in order (except for the last two songs, which they mixed up). It was obvious Elixir were still getting used to their material, especially the complex lyrics: Noonan frequently needed to look at sheet notes for lyrics to the songs, which were mostly based upon the poetry of Queenslander Thomas Shapcott. Familiar or not, what they played was jazzy, sweet and soulful. Magnusson’s guitar playing was clear and rounded, with a sound almost as crisp and bold as a piano’s, while Hurren’s husky, sultry sax breathed pure jazz into the mix. Noonan’s vocals floated on top; while they do not highlight the lyrics of any song, but rather keep her voice as the focus, the poetry was suitably pretty enough for her playful and sensitive singing.

Additions to the album included Radiohead’s “Last Flowers to the Hospital”, which I found more enthralling than the rest of the set, just because of the original beauty of the song. They also included a love song by Joni Mitchell in the midst of tracks like “My Skin is a Glove”, “Circle of Moonlight”, “Sleep Soundly, Peacefully”, “Pierrot” and “Hemispheres”, which ranged from merry to meaningful, and that you’ll be able to find out if you get the CD yourself. Elixir finished the night with a laugh, thanking the ABC and Universal for letting them “make a record that has little commercial viability but a lot of creative integrity.”

P.S. Main photo taken by my wonderful photographer for the night, James Paola.

Photo by Lene.

Most of you wouldn’t know I am now an intern at Limelight, the Australian classical music magazine. This position has opened up a whole new musical world to me, allowing me to discover an array of artists, songs and composers that are inspiring and enthralling. It also provided the impetus for me and my boyfriend to attend our first classical music concert. We went to see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra play at the Sydney Opera House for “Tea and Symphony”, which meant we got to partake in complementary tea/coffee & biscuits before the concert with the rest of the audience, which was conspicuously composed of white, old people.

The Sydney Symphony played two amazing pieces: The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ (1865-1957) Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 43. I have to admit, this was also my first music concert at the Opera House altogether – I had never had an opportunity to attend an event there before this one. So I was losing both my classical concert and Opera House virginity in one go.

From the very first note, the warm, deep, honeyed strings at the beginning to The Hebrides, I was hooked. No matter how much one listens to classical music on record, none of it compares to the live experience. My boyfriend and I looked at each other wondering, “What have we been missing out on all our lives?” Written in 1830, The Hebrides was inspired by a cavern known as Fingal’s Cave on Staffa, an island in the Hebrides archipelago located off the west coast of Scotland. With equal parts of hope and mystery, the piece was mesmerizing, thrilling and impassioned. The strings evolved from peaceful to intense, and the woodwind and brass parts provided bold breaks between the dominating strings. There was something so fantastic and ethereal about the composition. James and I were really sad when it ended; we could have listened to it forever.

Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 was a very different style to Mendelssohn. Less fantastical and more anthemic, the symphony’s first movement, Allegretto, was soft, atmospheric and uplifting, with some wonderfully catchy melodic phrases. Most strikingly, the music evolved into more mysterious and rousing territory, with frenzied and intense strings building up into climactic moments. It was reminiscent of a movie soundtrack, perhaps one for an epic fantasy movie.

I have to say, as a classical concert newbie, it took concentration to listen intently through the next three movements that lasted for around half an hour. The second movement Tempo andante alternated between stronger brass-focused moments and softer woodwind and strings-dominated parts. The third movement Vivacissimo was harder to follow structurally, but what I really loved was the fourth movement, Allegro moderato. It had a beautifully hopeful and romantic melody that shone through by the strings, with injections of proclamatory trumpets throughout. It closed with grand, atmospheric interpolations of brass atop heavenly violins.

This concert was an incredible experience and completely changed the way I see classical music and live performance. I didn’t know music like this existed. I look forward to many more classical music concerts and encourage you all to be open to experiencing such an amazing genre of the music art form. Classical music is really best experienced live.

Name Taken is the band I wish I knew about in high school. Part of the emo/punk/rock genre, they formed in California in 1999 when the three band members, Chad Atkinson, Blake Means and Ryan Edwards, were only 14 or 15 years old. They released their debut album ‘Hold On’ in 2004. It has a familiar sound to those who still long live out their teenage glory days; it’s youthful, emotional and musically vibrant. ‘Hold On’ was released through Fiddler Records, the independent Californian record label that served as the launching pad for Dashboard Confessional and New Found Glory. Name Taken could have been as big as these bands if they had stayed on with their music career; however, they split up in 2005 to pursue university education instead.

They released four EPs before their debut album: Stupid Chad (self-released), The Silent Game (Top Notch Records, 2001), Hold Your Breath, You Know How Long (2002) and Bayside/Name Taken (split record – Dying Wish Records, 2003). Atkinson provided the vocals and bass for the band, while Means and Edwards played guitar. A series of drummers contributed to different records and live performances. Atkinson’s voice completely suits the role; youthful, clear and emotional, he was born to sing to emo/rock music. He provides a soft, accessible point for the music, and without him Name Taken wouldn’t have been what it was. At the same time, he is well backed-up by drums and guitars that are consistently great and, at their best, bliss-inducing. Their fantastic melodies get some of the credit for this bliss-inducing quality, but it’s the symbiotic relationship between the songwriting and performance on all quarters that led to their most memorable moments.

The best track on ‘Hold On’ is ‘Panic’, which is the song that first set off my love for Name Taken. It starts off slow and mellow but soon breaks into a catchy, heartfelt chorus with a glorious build-up of drums, intense guitars and an emotional vocal performance from Atkinson. It has the best drums I have heard on a track so far, played by their second drummer Danny Valencia, who replaced the first in 2002.

Name Taken tried to be more experimental with their rhythms on ‘Hold On For Your Dearest Life’, but the hectic drumming and simultaneous electric guitar and vocals of the intro is confusing and they got the timing wrong. The song gets better, but it seems they weren’t able to keep up with their own rhythm and didn’t bother to re-record because the final product turned out okay. A good attempt that could have been a great song but, structure-wise, the intro is slightly unnerving to wrap your head around. ‘It Sounds Prettier in Spanish’ also gets it wrong melodically, despite the attractive song title. There are times when Atkinson misses a note, and this album doesn’t achieve perfection.

There are other fantastic tracks, though. The album starts with ‘Control’, a tight, energetic track with upbeat punk drums and guitar. Atkinson’s vocals shine in the break-up song ‘A Year Spent Cold’, while ‘We Give Up Sometimes’ and ‘I Quit My Scene’ are memorable. ‘Cover Up’ is also fantastic but sadly fits too well into their emo genre, singing about a lost relationship while mentioning self-harm. Reading through their lyrics, it’s obvious these songs provided a cathartic effect for the boys through the intense, often confusing experience of teenage-hood.

Name Taken have a coming of age motif running through their album, speaking of once being young and now growing old. This reflects their growth from their mid-teens into young adults, documenting the experience and inner growth that happened throughout this development process. For such young men, not only do their lyrics reflect a keen perceptiveness, but also their songwriting and playing is noteworthy and mature beyond their years.

Fun facts:
• They were originally named All That’s Left in 1999 until they discovered that the name was already taken; thus the name “Name Taken”.
• The band started in the eighth grade where they would play shows in their school’s amphitheatre at lunch.
• The lyrics to the song “Panic” are said to have been the inspiration for the name of the band Panic! At the Disco.

Narciso Yepes (1927 – 1997) was a Spanish guitarist whose 50-year career helped escalate the popularity of classical guitar music during the 20th century. Works such as Concierto de Aranjuez, Concierto Para Guitarra Y Orquesta En La Menor and Concierto Madrigal are wonderful examples of his classical guitar work with world-famous orchestras, released on a series of records through Deutsche Grammophon.

Yepes made his Madrid debut in 1947, at the age of twenty, performing virtuoso pianist Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Spanish National Orchestra. This performance was extremely successful with excellent feedback from critics and the public, launching Yepes’ career and opening doors for him to tour Switzerland, Italy, Germany and France.

On his recorded version, Yepes’ guitar playing is ensconced within both dramatic orchestral backdrops and simple, guitar-focused tunes. Clear and precise, his lyrical guitar expressions dance alongside woodwind instruments on some parts of Concierto de Aranjuez, and ethereal strings in others. His soft strumming also provides a calm foundation for woodwind-focused phrases of the soft-toned composition.

In comparison, Concierto Para Guitarra Y Orquesta En La Menor is more dramatic, with bright brass and string ensembles. Yepes’ guitar-playing features as more of an accompaniment to the orchestra than the other way around. Concierto Madrigal ranges from the anthemic and joyous to the mild and mellow, and Yepes plays in all styles articulately and emotionally.

Born into “humble origins” in Marchena, a city in southern Spain, Yepes was given his first guitar at the age of 4. By the age of 6, Yepes was already playing the popular tunes of the day by ear. When he was 13, he was accepted to study at the Conservatorio de Valencia with the well-known Spanish pianist and composer Vicente Asencio.

Yepes is known for playing the ten-string guitar, which he invented with renowned guitar maker José Ramirez. The instrument made it possible to transcribe works originally written for the baroque lute. In 1964, Yepes performed Concierto de Aranjuez with the Berliner Philharmoniker (The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), where he premiered the ten-string guitar. From then on, Yepes used the ten-string guitar exclusively, performing all over the world with leading orchestras as well as in solo recitals. He was also the first person to record the complete lute works of Bach on period instruments with the baroque lute.

With a golden career, many awards and a family behind him, Yepes died in 1997. His lasting works are vibrant and absorbing examples of guitar work by a wonderful musician.

Yepes’ music, including an album of Bach’s lute works, can be purchased through iTunes, Amazon or GetMusic.

If you were a child of the ’90s like me, you would remember the favourite girl bands of the decade: Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child and B*Witched. They were the coolest of the cool and everybody wanted to be them. Thankfully, my music (and fashion) taste has improved over time. Nowadays boob tubes, platform shoes and matching outfits just wouldn’t cut it, and the oversexualised image of contemporary girl bands to make up for their lack of musical quality is pretty sad. We’ve all been waiting for a girl band that actually plays good music. I mean, why can’t a girl band be sensitive and intelligent, not skanky and shallow?

Yet there is hope for us all: one girl band recently formed in Australia and has already stolen the hearts of many. Cue Seeker Lover Keeper, a band consisting of wonderful Australian singer-songwriters Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby. They recently recorded their self-titled debut album over ten days in New York, and are set to release it on June 3. According to Blasko, the three women had talked about collaborating for a while before getting together to record. “At first we thought about just doing a series of shows together, but then decided we’d all longed to be in a girl band,” wrote Blasko on her personal blog. The band has already sold out their first Factory Theatre show in July, adding a second one due to the popular demand.

Seeker Lover Keeper’s album consists of 12 tracks and is a wonderful and varied listen. Blasko, Seltmann and Throsby each have beautiful voices and write intelligent, perceptive and emotional music; together they make a great team. “It’s nice for all of us to be doing something a little bit different to what we all do individually and we’re enjoying being a band,” said Blasko. The album shows influences from all three artists. Apparently, they took turns writing the songs and each song is sung by a person other than the writer. Throsby and Seltmann’s characteristic fun and frenetic rhythms are showcased in some of the songs, while the more melancholy pieces are distinctly Blasko-influenced. Consequently, the album has highs and lows; some songs are quite upbeat while others are more acoustic and subdued. Nearly all of them are charming.

As a big Blasko fan, I was excited to hear the news of this collaboration. Hearing her distinct vocals on the album reminded me that they are always a pleasure to listen to. However, it was great to hear her usually solo vocals highlighted by Seltmann and Throsby’s textured, feminine harmonies. A highlight of the album is “Even Though I’m A Woman”, one of the tracks already released as a music video. Written by Seltmann and sung by Throsby, I found myself singing along to the catchy tune as well as many others on the album. The first half of the album is especially memorable. Other great tracks include “Light All My Lights”, “Every Time” and “We Will Know What It Is”.

If you are a fan of beautiful female harmonies set to pop/folk music, you will love this album. It features some of the best female Australian artists at the moment. Get a sneak peek of the album on Triple J’s website here. See Seeker Lover Keeper play at the following shows:

Wednesday, 6th July – The Heritage, Bulli
Thursday, 7th July – The Heritage, Bulli
Friday, 8th July – The Factory, Sydney
Saturday, 9th July – The Factory, Sydney
Monday, 11th July – Lizotte’s, Dee Why
Thursday, 14th July – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
Friday, 15th July – Civic Memorial Hall, Mullumbimby
Saturday, 16th July – Memorial Hall, Bellingen
Monday, 18th July – Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba
Tuesday, 19th July – Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba
Thursday, 21st July – Stones of the Yarra Valley
Friday, 22nd July – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Saturday, 23rd July – Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan
Sunday, 24th July – Thornbury Theatre, VIC
Wednesday, 27th July – The Gov, Adelaide
Thursday, 28th July – The Astor, Perth
29th July to 1st August – Splendour In The Grass

Like in art, beauty can be found in all different genres of music, but it was especially apparent at vocalist Katie Noonan and classical guitarist Karin Schaupp’s duo acoustic concert last night. The two lovely ladies graced the stage of Sydney’s City Recital Hall in Angel Place, treating us to songs spanning 450 years of folk, classical and modern music.

They devoted the first part of the evening to folk and classical, starting off softly with “Evening Hymn” by Baroque composer Henry Purcell. This led into a set of charming tunes by English Renaissance composer John Dowland, followed by Michael Head’s beautiful but haunting “Ave Maria”. Noonan’s voice was a gift and delight to listen to. She interpreted the songs wonderfully, with a delicate, clear voice and great vocal range. Schaupp accompanied on the guitar understated at first, only to impress me with complex and intricate guitar solos. She was brilliant in her musical expression, handling the soft sounds of the guitar in a sensitive and swift way, yet managing to extricate passionate melodies that captured the room. After playing several of Benjamin Britten’s songs and traditional Celtic tunes, Noonan and Schaupp concluded the first set with a fun Celtic song about a woman who left her husband to join the gypsies.

The second part of the evening began with somber Irish folk ballad, “The Fields of Athenry”, before delving into more modern music. Nick Drake’s melancholy “Things Behind The Sun” truly marked the beginning of the modern music phase, and Noonan and Schaupp decided to frame the song between George Harrison’s music. Thus, Schaupp began with a very slow, soft rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, which suited the mellow mood of the evening but didn’t completely showcase the beautiful melody of the usually faster tune. After Drake, Schaupp followed with a bright solo of George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun”, which was one of the most uplifting parts of the concert.

Continuing with The Beatles’ theme, Noonan and Schaupp performed “Love” by John Lennon, and Noonan’s exquisite and honest interpretation of this simple song almost brought me to tears. While Noonan’s voice did Kate Bush’s lovely tune “The Man with the Child in his Eyes” justice, her version of Radiohead’s “Last Flowers to the Hospital” was beautiful in its own way, but missed the fuller sound and melancholy piano part from the original track. It was still a happily welcomed addition to the set list for this Radiohead fan, and Noonan also admitted her admiration for the band started at an early age. The duo also played one of the best covers of Sting’s “Roxanne” I have heard, a song usually over played by dodgy cover bands. They finished with a bright and rousing rendition of the Peter Gabriel tune “Solsbury Hill”, inviting the audience to join in with foot-stomping while Noonan used a shaker and danced in cowboy boots.

Noonan and Schaupp’s partnership was a perfect pairing for City Recital Hall, a venue well-known for its suitability to acoustic music. While Noonan’s vocals brought me to highs and lows, Schaupp’s gorgeous guitar work shone in her solo performances. It was a beautifully stripped back exploration of classical and modern tunes – romantic, familiar and novel all at the same time.

The upcoming first Australian tour of New Zealand reggae roots band Trinity Roots is one Aussies should look forward to. Trinity Roots formed a strong fan base in New Zealand almost completely through their acclaimed live performances, while their two independent albums True (2002) and Home, Land and Sea (2004) reached Platinum status in New Zealand. After a five-year hiatus, the band decided to return after a few “auspicious” events aligned in their favour. I spoke to the very friendly and talented lead singer/songwriter Warren Maxwell, who said there were two catalysts for the reunion. The first was someone who asked them if they ever considered getting back together, and the other was the release of their live DVD “Music is Choice” late last year.

“I rang [band mates] Rio [Hunuki-Hemopo] and Riki [Gooch] and said “What do you reckon guys?” We were all really, really keen, we were all equally keen to get back together and jam. It’s great, it’s just like we had a little break, you know, and we went off and discovered a few other things,” says Maxwell.

The band recorded a new single just last week, and has a new album in the works. According to Maxwell, the band is returning after a period of growth and musical exploration. Maxwell has spent the last few years playing with other people, including as the front man of the New Zealand band Little Bushman, with whom he’ll be playing at Bluesfest 2011 in addition to Trinity Roots. The Trinity Roots band members have also experienced significant personal development, with Maxwell spending time with his family and bassist Hunuki-Hemopo having a new child.

“We’re really family orientated now. I think there’s been a lot of maturity; we’ve grown as people and as musicians and producers so we’re all really excited to get back in the studio to do that. We really don’t know what’s going to come of it because when Trinity first came together we were largely reggae/roots/dub/jazz influenced, but now that we’ve gone away and experienced all these other genres, who knows? The melting pot has just gotten bigger, you know? It’s gonna be interesting,” he says.

The new record will have a wider diversity of sounds, with Maxwell exploring psychedelic rock, and his band mates into a mixture of experimental avant-garde and R&B hip-hop.

“It’s gonna be a mish-mash. I think collectively we are all a bit tired of the over-produced sound. I’m hitting more guerilla styles that are quite raw, quite punk, you know, two microphones in the room and just go for it. And there’s a lot of magic in that. I just feel with over-produced music you polish the magic out of it. So yesterday we just literally set it all up in the one room, we put three microphones on the drums, and it was great, it was a lot of fun,” says Maxwell.

Trinity Roots grew in popularity in their home country because they managed to capture the essence of New Zealand in their music, with soulful jazz rhythms, heartfelt lyrics and a freshness of character.

“In a lot of our songs we try to include elements of New Zealand, whether they’re from cultural kapa haka rhythms in them, or even words, lyrics. [New Zealand is] really laid back, and because of our laid back nature there’s not as much angst. We don’t walk around with guns; we’re like a little village. A clean, green, laid back village out in the middle of the South-Pacific,” says Maxwell.

Maxwell expressed surprise that Trinity Roots haven’t yet toured neighbouring Australia, despite touring Europe and Ireland during their six years together, and says they’re “going to make up for it”. According to Maxwell, Australians can look forward to energetic and exciting live shows from a more mature band.

“We’ve spent quite a lot of time on our live shows. The main thing for us is that we take our audience somewhere. It has to be dynamic. It has to be, one moment, wall of sound, bleeding ears, frenetic Pacific rhythms and then it’ll go right down to where you can’t hear a pin drop and then back up again, soaring and back down. And by the time you leave a Trinity Roots gig, you’re exhausted, you’re absolutely knackered. I love providing that for an audience. So our priority is to take our audience on a journey, throw in a few poignant, prolific lyrics that relate to what’s going on around us politically and emotionally, and then say goodnight!” he says.

When asked what three things are that he couldn’t live without, Maxwell replied with concern that people might find him boring. However, if Maxwell’s priorities are anything to go by, the band has indeed matured.

“My family, my first coffee in the morning, and my health. Do you mean more material things? Because they’re the three things that come to mind.”

Trinity Roots will be playing The Metro Theatre, Sydney, on Friday 29th April, and Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on Saturday 30th April. They will also be at Byron Bay Bluesfest on April 23rd and 24th.

Want a taste of Trinity Roots’ music? Here’s one of their first songs from their 2001 self-titled EP, the soulful “Little Things”.