Ben Quilty "Toasted" in Robertson

Robertson artist Ben Quilty is no longer "just" a local celebrity, he is a national celebrity. He won the Moran Prize in 2009, and followed up by winning the Archibald Prize this year.

Jenny Kena, as Chair of the Robertson Community Technology Centre, hosted a community gathering to celebrate Ben's success in the Archibald Prize.

Jenny Kena welcomes the Robertson crowd to the Ben Quilty "toast".

Andrew Ford, another Robertson local, as well as being the host of the ABC Radio National's "The Music Show", was invited to put Ben through his paces in an "interview".

Andrew Ford "interviews" Ben Quilty.

Ben in pensive mood, as he frames his response to Andy's questions.

Andrew "proposes the Toast" to Ben Quilty

A light moment, afterwards. Ben and his daughter.

"Local Portraits" Exhibition opening

Here I take a break from Waratahs and Orchids to write about another part of the Nature of Robertson - Art and Society.Andrew Ford (Composer, presenter of the ABC Radio National's "Music Show" and Robertson resident) and Jim Rolon (a professional photographer, and former Robertson resident) have collaborated to produce a most interesting artistic presentation - a fusion of photographic portraits, and interviews (conducted by Andy). The subjects of the photographs talk directly to us (for Andy's familiar voice is not ever heard). They talk about their own favourite piece of music. Then, the pieces are played, sometimes interspersed with additional comments by the subjects of the portraits. Anni Heino has done the sound recording and editing.
This innovative multi-media exhibition at the Casula Power Station Art Centre was opened by Kon Gouriotis OAM, Executive Director of the Centre.

The total effect of this exhibition is a delightful, if somewhat surprising revelation about why music is important to people, and indeed, what types of music they love. One person chose silence "The nicest music you can get is absolute quiet - the sort of quiet (where) you can actually hear your heart beat". The choices of music appear to me to challenge whatever sterotypes are conjured up by the appearance of the persons in the photographs.

Initially, some 35 persons were chosen in Robertson, for in 2002, both Andy and Jim were living here. Subsequently, with Jim having moved back to Sydney and the Casula Power House Art Centre having come on board as a sponsor of the proposed exhibition, an additional 35 persons from the Liverpool area (suburbs within the postcode 2168 to be precise) were selected for photographs and interviews. Naturally this doubled the scope of the project, and presumably it more than quadrupled the complexity of the project - for Andy and for Jim.

While Robertson does score a few "Slim Dusty" mentions, we also score several operatic arias, a bit of the stunningly "heavy" Shostakovich 11th Symphony and some Bob Dylan, Elvis and Roy Orbison. There is a smattering of religiously inspired music as well. Overall, a wide and eclectic selection of music, presented by people who know why they like certain choices of music.

The interviews and selections of the music have been edited together by Anni, to form a radio feature for ABC Radio National's Into the Music series. The program was broadcast this afternoon, but it will be repeated next Friday (4 October 2008, at 3pm). The full program will also be available on a special website as streaming audio for four weeks after broadcast, today.

On the same website, you'll find 20 portraits from the exhibition, complete with the interviews. Many of these are Robertson people, faces and voices you will know.

Bob was listening intently to the introductory speech.Shirley was in reflective mood as her "story" and music was played, today.Click on the link above to go straight to these faces and listen to their brief explanation of their favourite music - "what" and "why"). You'll need a Flash player in your computer to be able to see the photos properly, and obviously loudspeakers or headphones to hear the audio.

After the formal proceedings were over, Andy and Jim were able to relax a little, with one of the members of the audience. This gentleman may have been on of the subjects of "local portraits" - but I do not know for sure. Certainly Andy and Jim seemed to know him well.
Some of the audience members today found it sufficiently interesting to share the MP3 audio players provided by the Casula Power House Arts Centre. Neil and his son, Jon, were joined at the hip by Technology and Art, today.Anni and Andy might have been saying: "I suppose it was worth waiting seven years to bring this project to fruition".The busload of people from Robertson who went up to see the Local Portraits Exhibition to day really enjoyed themselves. Some of the "subjects" were presumably nervous beforehand. On the way back home, they were very happy and relaxed. As a group we were all excited and intrigued by what we had seen and heard and learnt about our fellows, today.

Anni's book launch went off well, last week.

Today I received a nice folio of photos taken at the CTC@ Robertson last Thursday night, which was the local launch of "Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz" - Anni Heino's new book. The photos were sent to me by Sally McLaughlin. Thanks Sally.

The evening started with Andy Ford giving a talk about the Music Show, which is the background to the book, for Anni was the editor of transcripts from a thousand hours or more of Andy's interviews with guest on the ABC's Music Show. The background is explained more fully in my earlier blog about the book launch (see the link above). Anni also talked a little about her role as editor of the book, but she was a little shy, on the night. I think she also knew that a lot of people wanted to sing and play music, to welcome the new book.

The first shows a local "a capella" group. I would call them a "Barbershop Quartet", except for the fact of their number, and "Barbershop Sextet" is far too controversial a term for this family-friendly blog! I think they might be called the "Highland-Aires" or "Highland-Dares", but I could not confirm either name in a quick Google search. There are international groups which use the first name, and I don't wish to start a legal battle over names. Sally's dad, Graeme (hope the spelling is correct, mate) is one of the singers (second from right).After the boys in red jackets finished warming up the crowd, the wild boys hit the stage. Nick Rheinberger got them going with some old fashioned rock 'n roll. He invited Andy Ford to join the band in a rendition of Van Morrison's "Gloria". That was a natural choice, for Andy has co-authored a book on the songs of "Van the Man". It is called "Speaking in Tongues"
The CTC had hosted a book launch by Andy Ford and Martin Buzacott on 26 May 2005. Gosh, it hardly seems that long ago. Photos of that event are on the CTC website - News Archive for that date. Here you can see the band winding up for a big finale at the end of "Gloria". Nick is about to bring it a big conclusion, and Andy is getting into it pretty seriously, too.Here are two of the members of the CTC house band. Richard, who is one of the co-ordinators of the CTC Music Nights, and Brian, who is a regular performer. Brian was also the stand-in conductor for the "Highland-Dares" as seen in the first photo, above. (He changed out of the red jacket.)Thanks again to Sally, for sending me the photos, as I had come rushing back from Canberra for the book launch, and I did not have my own camera with me.

"Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz" - local book launch

Local writer, and musicologist, Anni Heino has recently published her book "Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz". The sub-title is "170 musicians get vocal on The Music Show".It is published by ABC books. Anni has also created an "on-line companion" to the book, with background information, excerpts and some short "sound bites" as teasers to the full interviews. Although the book was "officially" launched in Adelaide during Adelaide Writers Week festival, in March, Anni has decided to hold a local event, to benefit the CTC@Robertson. This local launch will take place on Thursday 10 April, starting at 5:30pm.

Anni has sifted through hundreds of interviews on ABC Radio National's "The Music Show" (which has been hosted by her husband Andrew Ford since 1995). She has then transcribed the "best bits" - perhaps the funniest, perhaps the most poignant, and hopefully the most perspicacious insights which Andy's subtle interviewing style has prompted from the guests.

Seemingly Anni's favourite interview is with Nick Hornby, for her transcription of that interview has been selected as a sample interview, to be accessible via her website, here.
There are extended transcripts from interviews with 45 famous musicians, and small extracts, often the "pithy one liners" which add charm to an interview, or to a book, from a further 125 other, equally famous musicians. No doubt the choice of which interviews to feature was a subject of much anguish on Anni's part, but the selection of interviews is clearly her own, none-the-less. As Andy comments in his foreword, Anni was able to make dispassionate choices in selecting the interviews to feature in the book, but yet sufficiently close to the source to be able to seek an interpretation of any arcane comments or mumbled responses which might have puzzled her, while listening to over 1000 hours of tapes.

There will be a local launch of the book at the CTC@Robertson this coming Thursday evening, and copies of the book will be available from the CTC for a special price, and sales from there will result in a donation to the CTC.

I confess a slight disappointment in that there is not an extended interview with Kinky Friedman in the book. As regular readers know I am not a musician, nor even much of an appreciator of music, but I did go and see Kinky Friedman in person at Tilley's Cafe in Canberra several years ago. I am fascinated by his character - so full of contrasts. After all, anybody whose trademark is as a Texas red-neck Jewish Cowboy, and is a novelist as well as a musician, has at least got complexity in his favour. But above all this book is about Music, as is the show from which it derives, and I suspect that Kinky is more well-known to the likes of me for his personality than for his insights into music. But his name adds character to the title.

"Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz" (the book) consists of 45 long interviews (in bold) and short extracts from 125 other interviews, and the list is available via the web, on Anni's webpage here, as part of the "On-line Companion for Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz". So you can scan the range of interviewees, prior to purchasing the book.

Better still, go along to the Robertson CTC this coming Thursday evening. You will be able to talk to Anni about the book, or to Andy about the program, and get yourself an autographed copy of the book (and help the CTC at the same time). The evening will start at 5:30pm, Andy will say a few words about The Music Show from 6:00pm, and then, with "formalities" (very informal, no doubt) completed, people can relax and enjoy the evening, which will then transform into the CTC's regular (every second) Thursday "Music Night" from 7:00pm onwards.

No doubt a good evening will be had, and it is special because it is our own local talent which will be on show - through Anni's book, through hearing Andy talking about the legendary Music Show on ABC Radio National, and with the home-grown live music to follow.

Do come along and show your support, and make the event even more local, and more satisfying to all concerned.

Miriam Margolyes - guest speaker at Robbo Railway Station.

Miriam Margolyes was the guest speaker today for a special event to help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of "Rail in Robertson", held at the Robertson Heritage Railway Station (RHRS). I hate the term "veteran actor", but Miriam uses the phrase of herself. You can read about Miriam, her life and interests, as well as her professional roles, on her website.

In case you are wondering about Miriam's connection with Robertson, she fell in love with the place, when she came here, during the filming of "Babe", for which film she provided the voice of "Fly", the mother Sheepdog. Miriam has subsequently built a house on the edge of the escarpment, near Knight's Hill.

Before the event got under way, Andy Ford introduced Miriam to a particular fan of her work.
Steve Carey, President of the RHRS Committee, welcomed everybody to this event.Andrew Ford, a local resident, Composer, and presenter of the ABC Radio National Music Show, was the interviewer for the discussion with Miriam. Andy is a very experienced interviewer, and he shows here, why - as he frames his next question - with an acute sense of humour.
Miriam gave the crowd a taste of the work which she is currently touring in Australia - her show "Dickens' Women" which is opening tomorrow in Melbourne, and will be playing in Sydney from October 15 - 21.

Miriam, "in character".

Andy and Miriam had a very informative, and entertaining conversation, which was followed by some questions from a clearly appreciative audience.

Steve then presented Miriam with a commemorative "Golden Spike" award. A gilded spike, is a relic from the clean-up of the original railway site. The original spikes were used to fix railway tracks to the wooden sleepers. Miriam, who clearly has a delightful sense of humour, quipped something about: "When I heard about this award, I wasn't sure where I would put it". But her look says it all!

Here is the Golden Spike.

A good day was had by all. The catering was done by the Pirouette Cafe, and the Robertson Inn provided the drinks.

One of the surprising moments of the day was provided by the crowd, when they spontaneously clapped when a goods train thundered by, just outside the tent where we were listening to Andy and Miriam's conversation. Normally Robertson people just shut their ears to these huge diesel locomotives, which thunder through the village, pulling limestone, or coal, or wheat to Port Kembla. But, the applause was an echo of the greeting by the people of Robertson, when the first train arrived in Robertson, 75 years ago.