ThoroughBass Cock Crow brings Rosemary Dobson’s poetry to concert format

When harpsichordist Diana Weston came across an old 1970s vinyl record of Rosemary Dobson reading poetry while sorting through her mother’s things, she was inspired to create a concert for them. Cock Crow is the result, referencing one of Dobson’s well-known pieces.

Rosemary Dobson was a poet, illustrator and editor and published 14 volumes of poetry in her lifetime. Moving amongst the poetocracy of modern 20th century Australia Rosemary knew some of the country’s most influential artists and writers – Kenneth Slessor, AD Hope, David Campbell to name a few. Varied in subject and mood, her poems veer between nostalgia and defiance, elation and despair.

The concert is intimate and personal, with Diana Weston on a bright and energetic harpsichord, Shaun Ng on the enchanting viola da gamba and lute, and an articulate Leonie Cambage as reader. Inala Molinari beautifully sang four poems set by Geoffrey Allen.

ThoroughBass Ensemble describe themselves as an ‘early music ensemble with some contemporary overtones’ and the contemporary is woven deftly into the past.

The far-away romanticism of the viola da gamba gave the audience a taste of the mythology that Dobson enjoyed as her subject – from Greek myths, to devils and angels, and fairytale pastoral scenes. Flowers, whispers, broken branches and longing weave in and out of the music and verse – it’s not surprising that Dobson counted amongst her friends artists Norman Lindsay and Thea Proctor.

With pieces from the 16th century to the 21st by Bach, Vivaldi, Bollinger and Australians Elena Kats-Chernin, May Howlett and others the afternoon spent amongst the poetry books of Gleebooks was a moment to absorb and be transported. Despite the competition of the rock band outside at the Glebe Street Fair, pounding occasionally in through the walls, in the clash of cultures the spoken word and ancient acoustic instruments triumphed.

Opportunities to can hear this concert:
Saturday 26 Nov, 4pm at Burradoo, NSW
Sunday 27 Nov, 3pm at Mosman, NSW
Review for:
ThoroughBass Cock Crow | Sunday November 20, 2016 | Gleebooks