Peter Sculthorpe follows the above statement with a qualification that by a ‘fusion of musics’ he is not talking about imposing European music systems of harmony to create arrangements of Aboriginal chants. I understand Sculthorpe is talking about real exchange, conversation and adaptation. Allowing change and intuition to occur within the parametres of both the Indigenous music and the emigrant musical forms. Sculthorpe’s statement describes and directs the intercultural musical investigation of this research that puts into action the idea of ‘fusing’ collaboratively the music practices of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The musical creations of this research have been realised through interaction and by actively engaging, by agreeing and disagreeing and finding out what works! In
the cross-cultural collaborations of this research, the ‘Australian’ sound of the Stuart piano is used as the bridge or pathway where the disparate music practices meet. The compositions created by this research illustrate the musical collaborations that are informed by the sound of the Stuart piano and the sounds of Australian Aboriginal music articulated by a mixture of contemporary Aboriginal singers each of differing cultural origins and traditions.
I continued playing the chants with the Indigenous singers, for a period of months. We performed the chants in several concerts always with Stuart & Sons pianos at the Conservatorium of Music, the Power House Museum in Sydney, the Independent Theatre North Sydney and the State Library of New South Wales. The two voices and clapping sticks recording of Barrabul-la created by this research is part of the permanent collection at the State Library of New South Wales.
Over a period of several months I implemented the characteristics of the Stuart soundscape into the accompaniments of the chant melodies. The new perspectives of clarity and the extended frequency ranges416 in the treble and bass of the Stuart piano soundscape were used to establish abstract, non-harmonic characteristics.
Abstract Non- Harmonic Stuart Piano Sounds.
Playing abstract non-harmonic sounds on the Stuart piano helped me move out of my traditional pianistic language, and more into a pure elemental interaction with ‘sound’. These new sounds engendered ideas and expanded my perspectives as a pianist and composer. My perception of the Stuart piano sound as a sound of regional significance was tested and confirmed at each collaborative session. I subsequently developed ‘regional’ associations with the accompanying piano sounds. The culture of singing the chant melodies and the playing of clap sticks yabbun417 was old, and the improvised abstract sounds were contemporary. The total feeling of this music making was about the musicians, collaborating in this place, now, yaguna.418
416 97 and 102 key compass, see in ‘Introduction’ table 0.4
417 2Troy, Panther Publishing and Printing, Canberra. [source Lt. a list in the King’s journal for which he gave Collins, Phillip, Hunter (King: 1968 p.270-274) King, Philip Gidley 1968, Lieutenant King’s journal. In 3Hunter,196-298. http://www.williamdawes.org/docs/troy_sydney_language_publication.pdf accessed August 2015.
418 Richard Green,“Dharug Dalang”August 2015. http://www.dharug.dalang.com.auCentre for Technology Information and Technoloy and Solutions, NSW Government.
