Marliya’s Spinifex Gum Travels to London

Australians living in London or travelling there in October have the special opportunity to experience First Nations Gondwana Choir Marliya making its international debut at London’s Barbican Hall with its lauded program Spinifex Gum. 

This Cairns-based ensemble of 16 Indigenous voices will be joined by three dozen more young choristers from Australia’s national children’s choir Gondwana Voices as well as the local Farnham Youth Choir and Royal Scottish National Orchestra Youth Chorus. This historic and pivotal event will not only showcase and amplify the stories and artistry of these young performers, but also foster greater cultural understanding and appreciation on an international stage.

Part protest, part celebration, Spinifex Gum is an all-singing, all-dancing Australian festival show created by Felix Riebl of The Cat Empire fame and features the all-female ensemble Marliya, a group of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander singers, conducted by Lynn Williams and choreographed by Deborah Brown. With original music and lyrics, choreography and design, Spinifex Gum confronts the challenging political and environmental issues facing contemporary Australia: social disparity, land rights, disproportionate incarceration, and deaths in custody. In both English and First Nations languages, Marliya disarms and inspires us in a way that no individual voice can.

Since its premiere in Adelaide in 2018, Spinifex Gum has been performed at every major Australian arts festival. There were repeat invitations to Byron Bay BluesFest and the Woodford Folk Festival and, in 2019 it toured nationally from the Garma Festival in Central Australia to Parliament House in Canberra. As a result, it received a nomination for Best New Australian Work in the Helpmann Awards.

In 2022, Spinifex Gum took on a new dimension, with the creation of a symphonic version. with orchestrations by Ross Irwin. This version was premiered by Marliya with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with subsequent performances by the Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras.

Bookings and more information.