Renowned Artists William Barton and Véronique Serret Tour Heartland to the Darling and Sunraysia Regions.
William Barton and Véronique Serret (image supplied).
The great didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton and powerhouse violinist Véronique Serret blend songlines and storytelling in Heartland, a compelling collaborative work that will tour the Darling and Sunraysia regions this June. Inspired by the poetry of William’s mother, Aunty Delmae Barton, the message of Heartland is one of peace and love carried by an eagle spirit.
Supporting this tour is Music in the Regions, who, across their three years of operations have made a mark on regional NSW, successfully touring world class classical music from Nundle to Deniliquin; with this itinerary taking the company the furthest west yet. Stopping in Broken Hill, Robinvale, Balranald, and Mildura, this tour is at the core of Music in the Regions’ mission; to create greater cultural opportunities close to home, for the 3 million people living outside the metropolitan.
Music in the Regions General Manager and Producer, Ian Whitney, said: “This is a very exciting tour for Music in the Regions, with a number of firsts. It will be our first visit to the Darling and Sunraysia regions, and our first with William and Véronique. This is a stunning and unique concert from two exceptional artists, and it will be a treat to tour with them in these iconic locations.”
Cathy Farry from West Darling Arts said: "We are really excited to have the Heartland tour come out to us in the Far West of NSW - this is a rare opportunity for us."
Throughout Heartland, Barton and Serret welcome listeners into a unique soundscape, drawing on the power of connection to place. Violins, didgeridoo, and guitar are joined by soaring vocals, ethereal loops, and electronic effects in a distinct evocation of the Australian landscape.
From its roots as a seven-minute commission for the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, this extraordinary work has grown into an hour-long reimagined “chamber oratorio” exploration of Country, landscape, culture, language and identity. The program features the duo’s much-loved Kalkani (commissioned by the ABC), Didge Fusion and Heartland itself.
William Barton and Véronique Serret said of the tour: “Our musical story is largely influenced by Australia’s vast landscape, and we are privileged to connect with communities far and wide. Thank you, Music in the Regions, for making this possible.”
William Barton and Véronique Serret will perform Heartland at:
BROKEN HILL: 6:30pm, Saturday 22 June at and in partnership with Broken Hill City Art Gallery.
ROBINVALE: 7:30pm, Wednesday 26 June at Robinvale Community Arts Centre, in partnership with Swan Hill Rural City Council.
BALRANALD: 7pm, Thursday 27 June at Theatre Royal, in partnership with South West Arts.
MILDURA: 3pm, Sunday 30 June at Mildura Powerhouse Precinct, in partnership with Arts Mildura.