BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk// X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Australian Art Orchestra &\; The Young Wägilak Group Present C rossing Roper Bar : An Interactive Performance &\; Discussion of Improv isation as Transcultural Process - Tony Hicks\, of the Australian Art Orch estra\, Samuel Curkpatrick\, PhD candidate at Australian National Universi ty and Benjamin\, David and Daniel Wilfred of the Young Wägilak Group DTSTART:20121113T163000Z DTEND:20121113T183000Z UID:TALK40787@talks.cam.ac.uk CONTACT:Ewa Illakowicz DESCRIPTION:*Crossing Roper Bar: Performance and Discussion of Improvisati on as Transcultural Process*\n\nFresh from performing at Paris’s Musée du Quai Branly and London Jazz Festival Tony Hicks\, of the Australian Ar t Orchestra\, Samuel Curkpatrick\, PhD candidate at Australian National Un iversity and Benjamin\, David and Daniel Wilfred of the Young Wägilak Gro up will present workshops\, discussions and presentations of this visionar y production in association with University of Cambridge\, Museum of Archa eology and Anthropology and Homerton College.\n\nABOUT CROSSING ROPER BAR\ nCrossing Roper Bar (CRB) is an exploration of the music traditions of Aus tralia’s first people by the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) in collabora tion with the Young Wägilak Group (YWG)\, traditional song men from Nguku rr in South East Arnhem Land that commenced in 2004.\nThe manikay (song cy cles) of the Wägilak speaking Yolŋu people belong to the oldest continuo usly practiced culture on earth. The YWG and the AAO have worked to presen t and\, at the same time\, create and develop a transformative contemporar y rendering of these precious cultural artifacts. To audiences unfamiliar with the world of manikay it is envisaged that CRB may act both as a way o f introducing this extraordinary musical form to the world and of allowing people to lose themselves in an alluring world of sound\, image and langu age\, while being taken on the journey of the mythical being Djuwalparra\, which the song cycle in part represents.\n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS\nThe Young Wägilak Group (YWG)\, from South East Arnhem in Australia’s Northern Te rritory\, are custodians of traditional knowledge that is expressed throug h music\, dance\, painting and storytelling. “We’re the Young Wägilak Group now\, with my story\, with my grandpa’s story\, and the spirit of grandpa following me. Giving me power\, strong power. That’s why I’m talking strong. And I love my tour [Crossing Roper Bar]\, what I do. I lov e everything that I do from grandpa\, from grandpa’s story and talk. Gra ndpa also told me\, ‘follow me.’ I have to follow him. I’m lucky I ’m holding this Wägilak culture strong.” Benjamin Wilfred\, leader YW G\n\nThe Australian Art Orchestra (AAO)\, founded by Paul Grabowsky in 199 4\, comprises 20 of Australia’s leading performers and composers operati ng at the nexus of notated\, improvised\, western\, non‐western\, new an d traditional music. The orchestra is renowned for developing music as a l anguage that builds connections between individuals\, societies\, cultures and nations. It gives a voice to both cross‐cultural and cross‐genre collaboration. The AAO continues to be a ground‐breaking ensemble in de veloping the concept of ‘music without frontiers’\, a notion which acc epts the simple premise that music speaks to us in ways that words do not\ , and that it is possible to engage on the highest and deepest levels of m usic‐making with masters of various\, if not all\, traditions.\nwww.aao. com.au\n\nPlease contact Pam Burnard pab61@cam.ac.uk if you would like to attend.\n\n LOCATION:Homerton College\, Auditorium\, Mary Allan Building\, 184 Hills R oad\, Cambridge\, CB2 8PH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR