The Art of the Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is recognised around the world as an iconic part of the traditional music of Indigenous Australia, its rich, full tones seeming to evoke the breadth of the land itself. This album is a celebration of that ancient voice, and the music it has inspired from Australia’s great composers.

The Art of the Didgeridoo features performances by legendary player William Barton, including recordings which trace his relationship with one of Australia’s greatest composers, Peter Sculthorpe. Barton’s collaborations with Matthew Hindson, Sean O’Boyle and his mother Delmae Barton showcase the vastly different sounds of the didgeridoo, and Barton’s own innovative music runs throughout the album. Matthew Doyle’s performance of Dawn Mantras by Ross Edwards closes the album – a work which was written to herald the new millennium in a performance from the sails of the Sydney Opera House. This moment was viewed throughout the world, and music that has lost none of its resonance over a decade later.

‘The didgeridoo is a language. It is a speaking language. And like any language, it’s something that you’ve got to learn over many months and many years. It’s got to be a part of you and what you do.’ – William Barton

TRACKLISTING:

1. WILLIAM BARTON Didjeridu Solo No. 2
2–5. SEAN O’BOYLE / WILLIAM BARTON Concerto for Didgeridoo
6–7. PETER SCULTHORPE Songs of Sea and Sky (excerpts): Dance Song – Lament
8. WILLIAM BARTON / DELMAE BARTON Dreamtime Duet
9. WILLIAM BARTON 7/8 Not Too Late
10. PETER SCULTHORPE Earth Cry
11. WILLIAM BARTON Petrichor
12–13. WILLIAM BARTON / MATTHEW HINDSON Kalkadungu: Warrior Spirit II – Spirit of Kalkadungu
14. ROSS EDWARDS Dawn Mantras

The Art of the Didgeridoo is available now.