CELEBRATED AUSTRALIAN AND IRISH SINGERS PAY HOMAGE TO GREAT IRISH POETS IN ANCIENT RAIN
A soulful, theatrical song-cycle from two of the world’s most acclaimed musical performers
Iconic Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and magnetic Irish chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan pay tribute to the words of W.B. Yeats and other great Irish poets of the past century with Ancient Rain in Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC’s) Concert Hall on Tuesday 13 June 2017.
Ancient Rain combines original songs and music, together with spoken word inspired by more than a century of Irish writing. Paul and Camille inhabit a range of characters in this mesmerising performance, revealing a tapestry of themes, from the cost of love, the price of independence, to the inadequacy of faith and the power of forgiveness.
Created in collaboration with composer/pianist Feargal Murray and director Chris Drummond, Ancient Rain offers a unique visual and aural concert experience through a series of simply staged moments, and sheds new light on the artistry of these celebrated Australian and Irish musicians.
Camille’s majestic vocal command and Paul’s ingeniously understated yet evocative lyricism unite in service of stories of love, loss and redemption.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Paul Kelly is truly one of Australia’s pre-eminent singer-songwriters and musicians of our time. His career output includes more than 20 studio albums and multiple film soundtracks, and in 1997 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. He has created some of Australia’s, and more specifically Melbourne anthems; from Leaps and Bounds which immortalised the iconic MCG to From St Kilda to Kings Cross, Kelly’s songs are lodged deep in the Australian psyche.
Camille O’Sullivan is one of Ireland’s finest, most amusing and wholly mesmerising performers. As much a storyteller as she is singer, her last show in Australia was Changeling in 2015 which featured her interpretations of songs by Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Tom Waits and Nick Cave to name just a few. She has performed sold out solo shows worldwide, guest starred in Olivier Award-winning La Clique, of which she was an original cast member in London’s West End, and as an actress she’s appeared in films such as Oscar-nominated Mrs Henderson alongside Judi Dench. It’s no surprise that her love of narrative and storytelling has led to this perfect partnership with Paul Kelly where they can demonstrate their appreciation of some of poetry’s greats.
Ancient Rain in QPAC’s Concert Hall on Tuesday 13 June 2017 is not-to-be missed. To book go to www.qpac.com.au or phone 136-246.
