I Call Australia Home CD

Long before Australia, host nation of the 2000 Olympic Games, begun to receive international attention, Celestial Harmonies and Black Sun Music made a cultural commitment to record a wide spectrum of Australian composers and performers.

I Call Australia Home has been compiled from its extensive catalogue by Doug Spencer, founder/producer of The Planet, which is broadcast Australiawide through the ABC's Radio National, and internationally through Radio Australia. In March 2000, he won the "Outstanding Contribution to World Music" award at the annual Australian World Music Awards. Doug Spencer writes:

"Once infamous for its “White Australia Policy”, Australia today ought be famous as one of the worlds most actively multicultural nations. Educated citizens of Australia live in a proverbially remote place, but they are generally much more worldly than educated citizens of less “remote” places.

And we make some wonderful, remarkably diverse music. Australias musical riches are only just being discovered by many people in the rest of the world (and by some Australians!). Celestial Harmonies is the one international label thats known those riches for years, and has recorded and actively promoted fine Australian musicians. Its remarkable that a single, relatively small companys catalog could yield such a rich collection. That company was also brave enough to allow someone independent of it to compile this album."

Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales, and Minister for the Arts, wrote the following dedication for this recording:

"I Call Australia Home is an eclectic collection from Australia's most innovative contemporary composers and performers.

It brings together crosscultural visionary Michael Atherton and the Indigenous artists Matthew Doyle and Alan Dargin who have taken their didgeridoo performances across the world. Also included is the folk/world music fusion of Coolangubra, compositions by Michael Askill, the outstanding Sydney percussion ensemble Synergy and works by multiinstrumentalist James Ashley Franklin. Australia's foremost medievalists are also featured—early music scholar and performer Winsome Evans and her Renaissance Players along with Stevie Wishart and Sinfonye. Australia's foremost vocal ensemble The Song Company completes an extraordinary lineup of talent."

This CD is a musical kaleidoscope capturing the originality and richness of contemporary musicmaking in Australia. I am delighted that through it, the work of our talented musicians will reach the world."

tracklist
1 Virtuoso Didj - Alan Dargin & Michael Atherton from Cross-Hatch: Didjeridu + Percussion (15028) 1'35"
2 Cave Drawings - Matthew Doyle & Michael Atherton from Lyrebird (15023) 4'45"
3 Marimba Dances - Michael Askill from Australian Percussion (13085) 9'42"
4 The Hour of the Mouse - Synergy from Matsuri (13081) 5'06"
5 Dancing Vines - James Ashley Franklin from Butsuga (13177) 4'20"
6 Butterfly Dance - Coolangubra from Spirit Talk (13122) 5'26"
7 Setting of the White Moon - James Franklin & Antony Wheeler from Moon Road to Dawn (13180) 2'47"
8 Los Guisados De La Berenjena - The Renaissance Players from The Sephardic Experience Vol. 4 (13169) 5'32"
9 Kenjo (Dedication) - Synergy from Taiko (15021) 6'21"
10 Extract From the Great Hymn to Aten - Michael Atherton from Ankh: The Sound of Ancient Egypt (13174) 5'01"
11 Looking South - Lee, Atherton & Askill from Shoalhaven Rise (15019) 7'58"
12 Woolunda - David Hudson from Woolunda (13071) 6'40"
13 Psalm 100 composed by Heinrich Schtz from Der Schwanengesang (13139) 6'06"
performed by The Song Company
14 Honey and Milk Beneath Her Tongue - Sinfonye from The Complete Hildegard von Bingen Vol. 1 (13127) 7'45"
Total Time: 79'47