Commonwealth of Australia | Three Australian Bush Songs

The 3 Bush songs started life with the title 3 Bush Carols. They were written for inclusion in a staged Christmas concert by the UWA Collegium Musicum under the direction of Margaret Pride titled A Bush Christmas, in which members of the choir dressed up in colonial costume and performed a range of Australian carols , including several by William G James and Sculthorpe. Over the next two years, I revised the work – lengthening the movements, removing the references to Christmas – and it was finally given its premiere as 3 Bush Songs in 1994 at the National ANCA conference in Brisbane. The 3 Bush Carols version was 1st performed in Winthrop Hall, UWA in December 1991 and was very enthusiastically received by a General public audience of 1000. Similarly, the bush songs premiere in July 1994 was very successful, with the audience being dominated by specialist choral practitioners. Both premieres were by UWA Collegium Musicum under the direction of Margaret Pride. Lyrics: Silence greets the glowing orb at dawn, Lighting bush with misty innocence Dry Harsh Hard Dark Sparse This land that is lit by whisp’ring rays Fire and Gold, they dissolve the morning dew Waking the birds, shaking the shadows from their wings The day comes alive with calls and cries form bleary throats Bringing life and harmony unto this land This Dry Harsh Hard Dark land This land that is lit by whisp’ring rays of dawn. (ii) Birds Cah-oo-woh S s ci-ca-da Morning chorus, Birds sing for us. Welcome us in their own way to this day. Morning chorus, Birds sing for us. Welcome us to this new day. Currawongs all sing their song With kookaburras and cicadas Morning chorus, Birds sing for us. Welcome us to this new day. S s cicada Cah-oo-woh Kah koo kah koo kah koo koo Through the day they sing away, a-cooing, wooing under rays of sun. Caressing, feeding, resting in the shade of trees they hide from heat of day they sing away, a-cooing, wooing under rays of sun. Caressing, feeding, resting All these cries are part of our big Birdsong chorus, They sing for us Welcome us in their own way to this day. Birdsong chorus, They sing for us Welcome us to this new day. Currawongs all sing their song With kookaburras and cicadas Birdsong chorus, They sing for us Welcome us to this new day. [Bird noises] (iii) Sunset Ssss-sunset Ssss-sunset here Ssss-sunset here, the image is furnace Molten metal the sky And glow that sinks in the pool of the purple night. Summer beckons, The heat it threatens to harm, But the warmth of the day Now sinks away to sleepy stars Sunset here, the image is furnace Molten metal the sky And glow that sinks in the pool of the purple night. Purple night. Sunset that sinks in the pool of the purple night.