As part of NAIDOC Week 2024, Dan Sultan joined forces with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his third studio album, Blackbird. The collaboration follows Sultan’s previous performance with MSO in 2013 as headliner for One Song: The Music of Archie Roach, and again enriches the MSO catalogue.
Sultan opened strong with ‘The Same Man’ and ‘Kimberley Calling’, before moving on to other key titles from Blackbird.
While Blackbird is named after the famous Nashville Blackbird Studios, it has an undeniably Australian flavour. The first set showcased Sultan’s talent for writing about the Australian experience and evoking powerful images of Country. ‘Kimberley Calling’ brought the West Australian region to the fore and transported the audience to Kimberley landmarks.
‘It Belongs to Us’ began powerfully with the opening line ‘underneath my fingernails, these ancient trails can never be washed’ and didn’t falter in its cry for reconciliation – a perfect inclusion in light of this year’s NAIDOC Week theme ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.
The second set presented a range of Sultan’s hits, including some from his most recent self-titled album, released in April 2023.
Sets were beautifully curated with orchestral arrangements from Alex Turley (Barra-roddjiba, Agam) and enabled the classical orchestra to showcase the range of Sultan’s work, from the easy Australian rock tracks to soulful ballads.
The Orchestra brought a full sound to tracks like ‘Can’t Blame Me’ and ‘Chance to Lose Control’ and fell back for others including ‘Gullible Few’ and ‘Cul-de-sac’, leaving Sultan on piano, banjo or a cappella.
In program notes, Turley says that in creating the orchestral arrangements, they ‘tried to do justice to the spirit of the original songs while also reimagining them in thoughtful, interesting ways’. They certainly showcased the best of Blackbird and allowed Sultan’s growth as an artist since its release and the talent of the MSO musicians to shine through.
Stage artwork from Jarra Karalinar Steel added to this rich exploration of Sultan’s music. She effectively drove a shift in tone from deeper hues in illustrations reminiscent of the Blackbird cover design in the first set and into brighter tones and florals for the second set with a number of love ballads like ‘Wait in Love’.
The performance came together with bold and purposeful work from conductor Aaron Wyatt. The orchestra confidently moved through both sets, with an undeniable connection to the music and Sultan, and brimming with passion.
Sultan charmed the audience with sincere and humble interactions throughout the show, frequently as heartwarming as they were funny. Born a short walk from the Arts Centre, his connection to Naarm and Hamer Hall was clear.
In one particularly powerful moment, Sultan recalled walking towards the Spiegeltent with his mother as a child, pointing to Hamer Hall and declaring that he would play there one day. Another was in thanking the crew and administrative staff by name, as well as the musicians on stage, for bringing the show to life.
Read: Theatre review: Elegies: A Song Cycle, fortyfivedownstairs
With at least three standing ovations, this collaboration between Sultan and the MSO was a musical feat and demonstrated the immense power of elevating First Nations voices on the orchestral stage.
Dan Sultan with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Visual artist: Jarra Karalinar Steel
Arranger: Alex Turley
Conductor: Aaron Wyatt
Dan Sultan and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra played at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne on 12 July and 13 July 2024.
