Music Monday - Koolbardi Wer Wardong

The world’s first Noongar opera is coming to the Awesome Festival next week!

Western Australian music teachers are familiar with the sound and work of award-winning songwriters and storytellers, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, whose performances and workshops over recent years have inspired and educated many of us in aspects of Noongar language, culture and music. (Noongar is the language of the first nations people from the southwest of Western Australia.)

It is therefore very exciting to see that their opera, Koolbardi Wer Wardong is part of the upcoming Awesome Festival for children. The theme of the opera is described as one of sibling rivalry. “Koolbardi the Magpie and Wardong the Crow are two very proud, vain, jealous brothers. Watch as their cunning, their rivalry and one-upmanship brings them unstuck in spectacular fashion”.

We do hope that many of you get along to see this world first. The recommended age is 8+.

Also check out the whole program for the Awesome Festival. It is a wonderful opportunity to give kids of all ages an arts enriched holiday experience. (And how lucky are we here on the west coast of Australia that we can enjoy live performance at this time.)

https://awesomearts.com

https://www.waopera.asn.au/shows/events/koolbardi-wer-wardong/

https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/west-australian-opera-commissions-new-noongar-language-work/

https://www.ptt.wa.gov.au/venues/his-majestys-theatre/whats-on/koolbardi-wer-wardong/

https://www.artshub.com.au/2020/07/14/first-opera-sung-entirely-in-noongar-language-commissioned-in-wa-260729/


Drama Term Tuesday #39

Operetta

By contrast with opera, operetta is light hearted and comic; in operetta, songs and scenes of dialogue are interwoven with dance.

Generally romantic in nature and almost inevitably resulting in a happy ending, operetta is a highly entertaining and popular form.

It is often seen as the forerunner to the modern musical.

Excerpt from Drama Key Terms and Concepts. Continue the conversation on facebook and twitter.

Drama Term Tuesday #29

Kosky (Barrie Kosky)

(1967 - )

Influential Australian born theatre and opera director. Eclectic in approach often borrowing from European Expressionism, Kosky works in a layered, excessive presentational style.

Excerpt from Drama Key Terms and Concepts.

Continue the conversation on facebook and twitter.