The Music Show

"I think if we saw every conversation as music, we would drastically shift the course of history."  So says the poet and performer aja monet. For her latest record, the color of rain, monet worked with Meshell Ndegecello, Justin Brown, and a whole host of musical collaborators to create something that spans genre, but has seen her named as one of the early headliners of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.
From the quietest footsteps to the loudest explosions, foley artists craft the sounds that shape a movie, but their work usually leaves them behind the scenes. In his latest composition, Hollywood Parsifals, Thomas Meadowcroft is putting 2 foley artists centre stage with the MSO, and exploring what happens when you combine their skill at sound generation with a full orchestra.
Rubiks Collective is presenting Thomas Meadowcroft's Love Songs Without Subjects at the Melbourne Recital Centre on August 25.
Music heard in this program:
Title: Love Songs Without SubjectsArtist:  asamisimasa, Ditte Marie Bræin, and Thomas Meadowcroft Composer: Thomas MeadowcroftAlbum: Love Songs Without SubjectsLabel: Sofa Music
Title: say it with your chestArtist: aja monetComposer: Aja Monet, Burniss Earl Travis IIAlbum: the color of rainLabel: Drink Sum Wtr
Title: i know that i don't knowArtist: aja monetComposer: aja monet, Justin BrownAlbum: the color of rainLabel: Drink Sum Wtr
Title: for the CongoArtist: aja monetComposer: aja monet, Justin Brown, Abe RoundsAlbum: the color of rainLabel: Drink Sum Wtr
Title: hollyweirdArtist: aja monetComposer: aja monet, Burniss Earl Travis II, Daniel Mintseris, Josh Johnson, Justin BrownAlbum: the color of rainLabel: Drink Sum Wtr
Title: War Western Thriller Horror Romantic Comedy Crime Science Fiction, Hollywood ParsifalsArtist:  MSO, John Simpson, and Eugene UghettiComposer: Thomas MeadowcroftAlbum: Live recording
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Harvey O'Sullivan

James Ellis Ford is better known as James Ford, producer for artists like Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine and Fontaines D.C. When you add the Ellis, he's a solo artist making his own music and he joins Andy to talk about his latest album Lost In Another World, and the War Child charity album HELP(2) which he made during his time as a 'boy in the bubble' of a quarantined chemotherapy ward. 
Cafe of the Gate of Salvation are old friends of The Music Show: a gospel choir celebrating their 40th birthday. They join Andy to sing live in the studio, and look back at their history.
And Andy remembers Belinda Webster, the producer, engineer and singular force behind Australia's art music label Tall Poppies. She died last week at the age of 74, and we'll hear her interviewed on The Music Show in 2006.
Celebrate Cafe of the Gate of Salvation’s birthday with them (if you can get a ticket!) on Sunday 23 August at the Factory Theatre in Sydney.
Music heard in the show:
Title: Polonaise for keyboard in F major, BWV Anh. 117aArtist: Geoffrey TozerComposer: Bach, J.S. (maybe)Album: For ChildrenLabel: Tall Poppies
Title: The lovely dawnArtist: Aura Go, Ian MunroComposer: Komalkova, EkaterinaAlbum: I was dancing with a gnatLabel: Tall Poppies
Title: Did You Ever Want To Go To Your Own Funeral?, OvertonesArtist: James Ellis FordComposer: Ford, James EllisAlbum: Lost in Another WorldLabel: Domino
Title: Sunday MorningArtist: Beth GibbonsComposer: Reed, LouAlbum: HELP(2)Label: War Child Records
Title: Be ThankfulArtist: Cafe of the Gate of Salvation, Lisa Spence (soloist)Composer: Yancy, Marvin; Jackson, ChuckPerformed live in The Music Show studio
Title: One StepArtist: Cafe of the Gate of SalvationComposer: Vails, DonaldPerformed live in The Music Show studio
Title: say it with your chestArtist: aja monetComposer: monet, ajaAlbum: the color of rainLabel: drink sum wtr
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
Technical production by Harvey O’Sullivan

Kate Miller-Heidke's new album, the first since 2020's Child In Reverse a a very theatrical and sometimes funny slice of gothic-folk called The Kiss and the Abyss. In between live performances of two new songs, Kate talks about referencing Handel and planning for the end of the world.
Pianist Maki Namekawa has an enduring relationship with Philip Glass - performing the world premiere of several of his pieces, including the Piano Etudes. Namekawa is in Australia to perform the first 10 of those Etudes, and shares her experience of working with the renown composer.
And selected highlights from a conversation with Philip Glass on-stage at the Perth Festival in 2013, when the Etudes were premiered in their entirety.
Kate Miller-Heidke is on tour from Aug 27 - full dates available here
Maki Namekawa is performing as part of the Now Or Never festival on August 22nd.
Music heard in this program:
Title: Etude 9Artist: Maki NamekawaComposer: Philip GlassAlbum: Philip Glass: The Complete Piano EtudesLabel: Orange Mountain Music
Title: ButterfliesArtist: Kate Miller-HeidkeComposer: Kate Miller-Heidke & Kier NuttallAlbum: The Kiss & The AbyssLabel: EMI
Title: HolidayArtist: Kate Miller-HeidkeComposer: Kate Miller-Heidke & Kier NuttallAlbum: The Kiss & The AbyssLabel: EMI
Title: Love Sweet LoveArtist: Kate Miller-HeidkeComposer: Kate Miller-Heidke & Kier NuttallAlbum: The Kiss & The AbyssLabel: EMI
Title: Lascia Ch’io PiangaArtist: Emma Matthews & NZ Chamber OrchestraComposer: George Frideric HandelAlbum: Handel AriasLabel: Artworks
Title: Little AntsArtist: Kate Miller-HeidkeComposer: Kate Miller-Heidke & Kier NuttallAlbum: The Kiss & The AbyssLabel: EMI
Title: Etude 1Artist: Maki NamekawaComposer: Philip GlassAlbum: Philip Glass: The Complete Piano EtudesLabel: Orange Mountain Music
Title: Dance VIIIArtist: Philip Glass & Michael RiesmanComposer: Philip GlassAlbum: In The Upper RoomLabel: Orange Mountain Music
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Antonia Gauci and Brendan O’Neill

Grace Cummings’ latest album is called Bloodhorse! and it's fantastic and fantastically strange. Her ragged, bluesy voice floats through a lush, ornate sound world on tracks like 'The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Morphine', and 'WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!', the latter of which was recorded whilst Grace wielded a grim reaper style scythe in the studio. She joins Andy to take us into the highly-strung world of the record.
Anna Maria della Pieta was a Venetian orphan who was taught, celebrated and written for by Antonio Vivaldi. Her musical life is the subject of a new production by the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, with American historical violinist Augusta McKay Lodge leading. Augusta joins Andy to tell the story of Anna Maria.
Plus new music from Mara, who is playing Phoenix Central Park in Sydney on 18 August.
Vivaldi’s Legacy is on in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane 12 - 25 August.  
Music heard in the show:
Title: Violin Concerto in E Major, RV 267a 'per Anna Maria'; I. AllegroArtist: Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Orchestre Le ConsortComposer: Vivaldi, AntonioAlbum: Vivaldi: Concerti Per Una VitaLabel: Harmonia Mundi
Title: The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Morphine, WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!, My God, John LennonArtist: Grace CummingsComposer: Cummings, GraceAlbum: Bloodhorse!Label: ATO Records
Title: Loosening My GripArtist: Mara, feat. Abby SundbornComposer: Schwerdtfeger, MaraAlbum: Air Leak/Loosening My GripLabel: Pure Space
Title: Violin Concerto in E Major, RV 267a 'per Anna Maria'; II. AndanteArtist: Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Orchestre Le ConsortComposer: Vivaldi, AntonioAlbum: Vivaldi: Concerti Per Una VitaLabel: Harmonia Mundi
Title: Violin Sonata in A Minor: I. –Artist: Augusta McKay LodgeComposer: Pisendel, Johann GeorgAlbum: Beyond Bach and Vivaldi: Rare Unaccompanied Works for the Baroque ViolinLabel: Naxos
Title: A Certain PanicArtist: Kate Miller-HeidkeComposer: Miller-Heidke, Kate; Nuttall, KierAlbum: The Kiss and the AbyssLabel: EMI
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
Technical production by Antonia Gauci and Brendan O’Neill

Can you tell the history of the world in fifty pieces of music? No, but BBC Radio 3 presenter and writer Tom Service has given it a red hot go in A History of the World in 50 Pieces: The Classical Music That Shapes Us. He joins Andy to talk through the surprising stories behind some of those pieces, from Handel to Happy Birthday. 
Music heard in the show:
Title: Overture from The Marriage of FigaroArtist: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo MutiComposer: Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusAlbum: Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro K492Label: Warner Classics
Title: Psalm 130: ‘Du fond de l'abîme’Artist: Ann Murray, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, Yan Pascal TortelierComposer: Boulanger, LiliAlbum: Faust et HélèneLabel: Chandos
Title: “Gente, Gente!”, and “Questo giorno di tormenti” from The Marriage of FigaroArtist: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo MutiComposer: Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusAlbum: Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro K492Label: Warner Classics
Title: Scena II. Ruggier de danni asprissimi, from La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'AlcinaArtist: Huelgas-Ensemble, Paul Van NevelComposer: Caccini, FrancescaAlbum: Caccini, F: La liberazione di Ruggerio dall'isola di AlcinaLabel: Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
Title: Fuera, Fuera! Haganles lugar!Artist: Florilegium, Arakaendar Bolivia Choir, Ashley SolomonComposer: Chavarria, Roque Jacinto deAlbum: Bolivian Baroque Volume 3Label: Channel Classics
Title: Gruppen, for 3 Orchestras (extracts)Artist: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Bruno Maderna, Michael GielenComposer: Stockhausen, KarlheinzAlbum: Gruppen, PunkteLabel: BMC
Title: The Rumble, America from West Side StoryArtist: Leonard Bernstein; Kiri Te Kanawa; José Carreras; Tatiana Troyanos; Kurt Ollmann; Marilyn HorneComposer: Bernstein, LeonardAlbum: Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side StoryLabel: Deutsche Grammophon
Title: MbubeArtist: Solomon Linda’s Original Evening BirdsComposer: Linda, Solomon Album: Single, 1939Label: Gallo
Title: WimowehArtist: The WeaversComposer: Linda, SolomonAlbum: The Weavers at Carnegie HallLabel: Vanguard
Title: The Lion Sleeps TonightArtist: The TokensComposer: Linda, Solomon; Peretti, Hugo; Creatore, Luigi; Weiss, George David; Stanton, AlbertAlbum: The Lion Sleeps TonightLabel: RCA Victor
Title: The Lion Sleeps TonightArtist: Billy Eichner and Seth RogenComposer: Linda, Solomon; Peretti, Hugo; Creatore, Luigi; Weiss, George David; Stanton, AlbertAlbum: The Lion King (2019)Label: Walt Disney Records
Title: The Lark AscendingArtist: Tasmin Little, BBC Philharmonic, Andrew DavisComposer: Vaughan Williams, RalphAlbum: The Lark AscendingLabel: Chandos
Title: America: A Prophecy, Op. 19 Artist: Susan Bickley, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Thomas AdèsComposer: Adès, ThomasAlbum: Adès: America A ProphecyLabel: Warner Classics
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
Technical production by Tegan Nicholls