Floods of Fire. Our Celebration with Electric Fields and the ASO.
Conceived by Airan Berg.Conducted by Luke Dollman and Aaron Wyatt.
Orchestration by Julian Ferraretto. Arrangements by Alex Turley. Featuring
Poco Tutti under choral director Carol Young, Quirkestra coordinated by Mat
Morison, Zhao Liang, Farhan Shah. Festival Theatre. Adelaide Festival Centre.
Adelaide Festival. World Premiere. March 17 2024
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
is the jewel in Adelaide’s orchestral crown. For the finale to this year’s
Adelaide Festival the ASO has collaborated with celebrated electronic music duo
Electric Fields, the 2024 nominee in the Eurovision contest. The evening is
divided into two acts, the first being a collaborative venture in which six
composers were commissioned to work with communities to create an atypical
symphony inspired by natural disasters, resulting from climate change. Composer-arranger
Julian Ferraretto united the voices of firefighters, scientist, children and
arts organizations into one symphony
depicting destruction and regeneration. What emerges is an original work
that musically celebrates the voices of different cultures and communities in a
concert that soothes and surprises, arouses and mesmerizes. Th ASO, conducted
in the first half by Luke Dollman is joined by the choir Poco Tutti under the
choral direction of Carol Young, gutzeng player Zhao Liang, a theramin player
Grace Lam from Quirkestra and powerful vocalist Farhan Shah. Conceived and directed
by Airan Berg, Floods of Fire is a
symphony of the forces of nature that can destroy through fire and flood and
then regenerate the land. Orchestrally
the themes interweave the instrumental harmonies and melodies in perfect
unison. Strings and wood wind, French horn and the soaring voice of a lone
tenor conjure a world in crisis but still
with hope. Berg’s orchestration lends a soothing sound to the lament for a lost
wilderness in the movement Lullaby for
the Earth. In contrast Spear is a reminder of the risks if we
fail to address the crisis of climate change. The warlike sound of the horns and
the urgent rhythms of percussion act as a call to action in addressing the
danger.
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| Zaachariaha Fielding - Electric Fields |
Act 2 represents a complete change of tempo with the appearance of Adelaide favourites Electric Fields duo, flamboyant vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding and keyboard player and producer Michael Ross with backing vocals from three Antara singers and two guest vocalists. Fielding, exploding with charisma and exuberance cajoled the audience into a communal celebration of song, with the accompaniment of the ASO under the baton of Aaron Wyatt. At the keyboard Ross accompanies Fielding with his own unique flair and the two create an atmosphere of celebration, joy and pride in Fielding’s indigenous heritage. The songs are proudly sung in English and Fielding’s native Yankunytjatjara language. Alex Turley’s arrangements catch Electric Fields’ energy and passion. The audience chants the chorus of 2000 and Whatever , reaching back into the song’s cultural origins and projecting audiences into a hopeful future.
I am not familiar with Electric Fields’ songs but I am caught up in the euphoria of Fielding’s remarkable voice and performance and Ross’s infectious energy. Around me the theatre echoes with the voices of an audience familiar with the songs and the music. The announcement that they will be representing Australia at the Eurovision contest with their song One Mikali (One Blood) is greeted with cheers and shouts of “You’re going to win.” Fielding brings the entire audience together singing Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody’s From little things Big things grow with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra providing a joyous orchestral accompaniment. Electric Fields and the ASO provide the perfect celebration of and closure to the festival
As a special surprise at the final curtain call, the 3.5 metre puppet of the 10 year old Syrian refugee Little Amal enters the stage to the amazement of all. It is a dazzling grand finale and triumphant commemoration of Australian and international talent at the 2024 Adelaide Festival.