Sydney musical mavericks Ensemble Offspring join forces with spellbinding Yuwaalaraay woman and storyteller Nardi Simpson to weave together dreaming stories, song, instrumental chamber music, and interactive cultural learning in Stories of Water and Earth.
Composer and featured performer Nardi Simpson showcases her deadly skills as a storyteller and singer, inviting audiences to hear the language of the land, explore the beauty of singing to Country, and experience music inspired by place. Together with Ensemble Offspring’s musicians, Nardi shares Yuwaalaraay women’s creative and cultural practices, encouraging audiences to listen deeply, learn, and even participate. This immersive, hour-long journey brings together Freshwater Woman with a selection of powerful works from the past decade of Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers, each speaking to Country, culture, and connection.
At the heart of Ensemble Offspring is an unwavering commitment to the creation of living new music. Renowned as Australia’s most fearless and virtuosic instrumentalists, the ensemble stands at the forefront of musical innovation. A culmination of nearly ten years of First Nations musical collaboration, Stories of Water and Earth is both a story and a musical journey of language, culture, and song — one that speaks to the soul, the heart, and the mind. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear the language of the land.
★★★★½ “From each and every performer, joy radiated from their eyes, their smiles, their hearts” – Rebecca Varidel, Sydney Scoop
“Simpson is as gripping a storyteller as she is a vocalist. Her prowess as a writer bubbles up through the fluidity of her language, and she shines as a performer” – Limelight
