John Shortis and Moya Simpson’s playful sense of humour was evident from the moment I entered their Bungendore property. Their next-door neighbour’s gates featured a sign that read 'Ironing done here'. The wall plaque near Shortis and Simpson’s front door read 'Irony done here'.

Over a steaming mug of coffee, we discussed the inspiration behind their current cabaret show Fifty Years Ago Today.

Cobargo Folk Festival commissioned the cabaret after Shortis and Simpson’s acclaimed festival performance about Eurovision and the context out of which it evolved.

John said, ‘That show was really an entertaining look at the history of Europe post World War 2 linked by bad songs.’

Fifty Years Ago Today marks the anniversary of the launch of the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album in June 1967 in the northern hemisphere.

Apparently, the album’s release date in Australia was delayed until July 1967 because the British producers did not trust Australian printers to faithfully reproduce the elaborate artwork of the Sgt Peppers album cover. The covers were produced and printed in England and shipped here via the Suez Canal. Regrettably, the six-day Arab Israeli war broke out and so the shipment was detoured around the South African cape. The album was launched in Australia at the end of July.

The cabaret’s story line positions the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album in the context of what was happening globally at the time. It also provides fascinating insights into the backstory of the album’s creation, dating back to the early 1960s when the Beatles were mop tops, in the heyday of swinging London.

John said, ‘You can’t tell the story of the Sgt Peppers album without showing the Beatles’ evolution from catchy pop rock songs to complex artful experiments in music.’

Sgt Peppers is the first Beatles’ album after they gave up touring.  The album marks The Beatles’ arrival as recording artists instead or touring musicians. For instance, ‘Ringo’s drumming is more orchestral in its approach. McCartney’s bass work transitioned from simple bass lines that filled out the pop rock sound to complex, intricate bass countermelodies that actually featured on the Sgt Peppers album rather than being fill.’

Shortis and Simpson’s Fifty Years Ago Today incorporates humour and poignant stories as well as songs of different tempos and styles from that Beatles’ milestone album as well as songs by other famous musicians from that era.

I was fascinated to learn that the Beatles’ celebrated producer, George Martin, used his background in producing Peter Sellers’ Indian characters on comedy records to bring together Indian and orchestral musicians to produce George Harrison’s Within You Without You.

John said, ‘While the lyrics are hippy trippy, the music is quite extraordinary because it follows the traditional rhythms and scales of Indian music.’ 

Moya said, ‘It was a nightmare to learn!’

John admits to scoring the music into a computer software program and practicing to it every day for ages so that he could synchronize his keyboard part with the rhythms.

Another interesting aside is that, in celebration of the link between the Beatles and Peter Sellers, Moya sings the Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers’ hit Goodness Gracious Me in the cabaret as part of the side story to the Sgt Peppers album.

Fifty Years Ago Today was not designed as a nostalgic trip down memory lane, although people who lived through that era may relish the show as such. It provides insight into a seminal moment in music and world history when world music influenced the Beatles music not only in composition but also in performance.

As we talked, it struck me that the show was very much like a great meal: lavish, prepared with great care, nutritious and good for the soul, and an experience not easily forgotten. The cabaret utilises the rich harmonies of a large choir, the vocal skills of its musicians, and the rocking talent of a hot backing band. It has appeal for all ages.  I also realised that Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album prepared audiences for the emergence of another musical phenomenon, Queen, masters of pomp-rock with its diverse rock styles and intricate vocal harmonies.

This cabaret should not be missed when the show comes to  your part of the country.

© Christine M Knight

Recently, I wrote a blog about the restoration of The Carrington Inn. My article about the inn also appears in the District Bulletin's December issue. The District Bulletin reports on country living in the Palerang region. I feel it would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge the importance of Indigenous heritage as a side bar to the Carrington article.

Heritage places are a visible reminder of Australia’s history and identity. If they are neglected or demolished, then part of our history and identity is lost. When they are protected and restored, they add value and dimension to our community. This applies equally to the heritage represented by the traditional owners of the land. It is important to acknowledge that Indigenous heritage when promoting awareness of colonial heritage as it shows respect for Indigenous culture.

Before European settlement, Indigenous people represented an unbroken culture that was inextricably linked to the land and history of the continent. That relationship and life as Indigenous people knew it changed drastically as a consequence of Dr Charles Throsby and Hamilton Hume's exploration of the region in 1820.

By the end of 1821, Europeans had settled the region. The provision of a mail service in 1837 formally made the settlement a town while the arrival of train services in 1885 resulted in the town becoming the hub of the region. Cobb and Co coaches transported travellers to far flung settlements. 

During this period and into the twentieth century, Indigenous people experienced a history of exclusion, denial, and were silenced. Many Indigenous people many died as a result of white settlement (disease and conflict). Indigenous heritage is in the land, in sacred places, lore and values. By contrast, colonial heritage is in buildings and property and its laws.

To better appreciate the impact of the European arrival in Australia and related issues, click on  The Dispossessed.

 

Late October, I met Innkeeper, Richard Graham in the motel carpark of The Carrington Inn a few weeks after it had reopened.

Originally known as The Lord Carrington Hotel, the property was built between 1884-85. It was named after the newly appointed governor of NSW. When the governor retired, the inn became The Carrington Hotel.

In the 20th century, descendants of the Winters sold the property to Toni Dale who reverted the property to its original function from a domestic residence. It later changed hands until Richard bought it eight years ago.

As we walked through the half acre of man-made gardens' entrance to the Wintergarden complex, I was struck by their intrinsic naturalness and the patterns of dappled light. Richard said they are ‘one of the largest publicly accessible private gardens in the region.’ He credits the illusion of a much larger space to the use of meandering sinuous paths.

There are three distinct themed locations within the Wintergarden complex: The Tom Wills Tavern, The Empire Hall and Salons – fine dining, and Myee’s Tearoom. Myee is pronounced my. The tavern’s namesake and a local, Tom Wills was a leading Australian cricketer from 1856 and is said to be the founder of Australian Rules football. Heavy drinking was apparently part of the sport's culture at that time and purportedly played a role in his tragic death in 1880.

 

Maria Myee Gallagher, 1889-1967, was the granddaughter of the original owner, William Daniel Winter. ‘An educated woman of many talents, Maria Myee never married and lived in the hotel throughout her life.’ She was a skilled pianist and taught the piano as well as the sewing arts and painting to locals. She was also well-known for her charitable work in the town.

The interview and tour began in Myee’s tearoom. Its décor, like the rest of the complex, ‘pays deference to the 19th century colonial Victorian nature of the Carrington Inn.’ An airy and serene space, the tearoom’s authentic hand-painted stencilled wallpaper, pale green wainscoting, slate floor, furnishings, and hanging baskets suggest a Victorian garden conservatory.

When I asked about the ideas underpinning the renovation process, Richard explained the choice before him. Restore the inn to look like the property as it had been in 1885 or restore it to reflect the Victorian era from 1885 but have modern restaurant equipment. For commercial reasons, he opted for the latter.

After much research, Richard and his team distilled the Victorian period to a single restoration intention: ‘allow modern-day patrons to appreciate the aspirational nature of the Victorian era’ and witness a different lifestyle.

The aspirational mood of the period is clearly visible in the style of ceilings in the tavern and the Empire Hall and Salons. The tavern’s patterned copper ceiling is reminiscent of Tudor ceilings and represents the revival of British styles during the Victorian era. The decorative tin ceiling in one of the salons is another popular architectural element from that period as are the subtly lit, rounded vaulted plaster ceilings in the Empire Hall.

 

The Victorian theme is evident in the use of decoratively etched glass mirrors, beautiful period-styled drapery, luxurious furnishings, dining settings, and décor accents. Thirty-three hand-painted artwork reproductions tell the colonial story, including artwork by Tom Roberts. In the tradition of the time, a picture of Queen Victoria dominates the Empire Hall.

The attention to authentic detail is also seen in the use of deeply embossed wall covering (Lincrusta) in  the Empire Hall. Lincrusta was invented in Britain in 1877 by the same man who invented linoleum floor covering some years before.

 

 Having visited many famous historic sites, I found The Carrington Inn as striking as places like Chatsworth House and Hampton Court in UK. Of course, The Carrington's pristine interior décor  and the inn are much smaller in scale than those other historic UK properties.

As Richard told the stories behind each room’s décor, I realised that he is more than the owner and operator of an enterprise that happens to exist in a heritage property. He is keenly aware of his custodial role in restoring, documenting, and protecting heritage.

As I left that afternoon, I realised that heritage places not only add dimension to the character of a community and its diversity but to its unique features of streetscapes as well.

 

Left to right: Mark Summers, General Manager; Edwina Fitzgerald, Accommodation Manager; Me, Innkeeper; Merili Pihlamäe, Venues Manager; and Andrew Stansbie, Executive Chef.

 

Growing up, were you an avid reader? If so, what did you read?

Yes, I've always loved reading. Books have functioned as portals into other worlds for me. I've always been drawn to novels that explored the times, culture, and values in which a story was set.  

The 'Heidi' stories made a significant impression on me in my pre-teen years. In particular, the comfort that Heidi drew from the soft chorus of the alpine trees in her most vulnerable moments when she moved into her grandfather's house. That impression was so strong that many years later, I looked for a rural property bordered by confirs. It was the deciding factor for me when my husband and I purchased land north of Canberra, 

As a teenager, I loved Jane Austen's novels, not because I saw them as romances, but because her stories looked at the world from the female perspective. Her novels explored the challenges that women faced in her society then as well as the changing attitudes to relationships. I think Austen would be upset to know many people nowadays had reduced her novels to simple romances. They represent so much more than that.

I also enjoyed writers like Elizabeth Gaskell and the three Bronte sisters. Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was another favourite. In each case, it was the world the stories were anchored in that interested me. I also read all of Agatha Christie's novels.

In my late teens, I was enlightened and inspired by authors such as Mark Twain, Leon Urus, John Steinbeck, and Hemingway. Their stories were firmly grounded in the historical, social, religious, and economic circumstances of the times they wrote about. 

Reading helped me comprehend the world.

What did you read as an adult?

I loved quality fantasy fiction by authors such as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Terry Brooks, and Raymond E Feist. I was fascinated by science fiction stories as told by Issac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, and Frank Herbert. 

I loved James Clavell's novels - he wrote superb stories. 'Shogun' is a favourite. I loved the way Clavell positioned his readers to view Japan from the changing perspective of his central character, John Blackthorne. Half-way through that novel, if I'd been able to speak Japanese, I would have stopped speaking English. The female heroine in 'Shogun' is truly memorable. 

Clavell had a huge influence on me as a writer. In my stories, I also position readers to see the world through one or more character's eyes. By doing so, I make it possible for the reader to feel life from that character's perspective. That makes the impact of conflicts powerful.

I was attracted to all of those stories because the authors wrote about ideas, values, and the world their characters inhabited. Stories like that can be read more than once. 

I am also a huge fan of the TV series 'Castle' and have all the novels that were spin-offs from that series. Although those books were fun to read, they lacked the substance that I normally look for and enjoy in novels.

Have you ever had a favourite bookshop?

As a child and teenager, I did. My father used to take my brother, sister and me to David Jones at Parramatta once a fortnight (2 weeks) on Saturday mornings. My mother worked in retail - Rockmans at Cabramatta - and it was Dad's job to entertain us and keep us out of mischief.

We used to sit on the floor in the book department section of the store, browsing the first chapters of books, deliberating on which ones we'd ask Dad to buy.  Although money was in short supply in those years and we didn't have much, we did have access to books.

Dad let us buy two - three books each on the proviso that we had to read them over the two week period and then talk to him about the stories, ideas, and values in them before the next trip to David Jones. In many ways, my father had difficulty relating to his children but he did share many precious moments with us through a shared love of reading and storytelling. 

Those days are wonderful memories. I'd sit cross-legged on the floor in the book section, a book open on my lap, and disappear into new worlds. The shop assistants didn't fuss about us reading their books beyond talking to us about how to hold a book and turn pages. They actively encouraged a love of reading. When business was slow, they would chat to us about the stories they loved and thought we'd enjoy.

 

It's Summer, hot, and humid in my part of Australia. I've just come back from the Country Muster. The muster is a music festival held at our local showground and venues throughout the nearby township over this weekend. Other musters are held elsewhere in country towns across Australia over the year, often the weekend after a rodeo or after the local agricultural, horticultural, and industrial show.

During the muster, music is non-stop throughout the day and into the evening. Buskers also occupy positions throughout the local township, making shopping very pleasurable. There was an energy in the town today before the heat took its toll on visitors and residents.  

It was extremely hot today – 40 degrees Celsius at 2 pm.  Although I had fun at the muster, we cut our time there short because of the heat.  There were many mulberry faced people though who stayed behind under the canvas rigged to provide shade for the audience. Sunlight as thick as golden paste painted the undulating landscape as we drove home.

I’m glad now to be back in air-conditioned comfort for the rest of the day.

If you'd like to see my music video, go to http://youtu.be/dEioHGbnWiA?  

My fan page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-M-Knight-Fan-Page/160899543948641

Christine

In the absence of a traditional blog, I thought I'd share this observation about images sold to women with you. Hope you enjoy it. 

She was a role model
For the modern woman.
Liberated from the labels
That had defined earlier generations,
She was an expert on things cosmetical:
From surgical to chemical.
She was a product of the cutting edge,
A manufactured woman,
Celebrated in magazines,
Sold across the nation.
In matters of weight,
She knew exactly how much to weigh in.
In the powerhouse of business,
She was inscrutable
(Thanks to regular Botox injections).
A beneficiary of affirmative action,
She traded in ideas and influence,
A follower of fashion,
As she rode the wave
After the second wave of the women’s movement.
Her flawless smiling image on magazine covers
Guaranteed sales at supermarket checkouts.
Articles about her reassured women,
Interested in material culture,
That their personal fit was simple,
A mere matter of purchase.
“Image is all that matters,” she said,
From her chair in Wonderland,
Her smile lingering like the Cheshire Cat.
Was she happy? Did her life have meaning?
Such questions are absurd.
She was a role model for women
Living life through the looking glass.

©Christine M Knight

A highlight of the Sydney Fringe Festival for me was the performance by DUTI - a professional dance company based in Sydney. Interlude was choreographed and directed by Mathew Mizyed, founder of DUTI Company.

Performed at Leichhardt’s Forum Theatre, Interlude began with an abstract film montage of changing patterns and swirls that strongly suggested the themes of TIME and CHANGE with strong percussive rhythmic music reminiscent of the pulse of life. Through dance, Mizyed successfully evoked the ambiguous nature of time and the evolutionary process of existence. He did this through skilfully intermixing motifs of movement: push and pull, rise and fall, tidal change, climbing, transitions from one state into another, sculptures of life – angular and dissonant at times - brought to an occasional standstill, and moments of celebration. Each scene was unique. The evolving language of gesture and movement was arresting and varied.

 

The dance was a sequence of different physical and emotional states that were seamlessly linked through music, transitioning coloured backdrops, and the comings and goings of dancers. Environmental landscapes were cued by music and lighting that underscored the movement and gestures used to convey each setting. The contrast between landscapes as portrayed by movement and gesture was not only expressive but effective. Successive scenes artfully explored shifting spatial patterns, timing and balance, levels, and groupings of dancers.

 

In this production, stage space appeared elastic much like time itself. Stage space also assumed a sense of density when dance and music altered to an underwater world where buoyancy and drag influence movement.

 

The costume of the female dancers was striking. Elegantly simple and flattering, it allowed great flexibility in movement. It enhanced the female form without sexually objectifying the female dancers. Male costume was simple. Trousers and bare upper torsos revealed the dancers’ physical strength, the cleanness of their movement, and the quality of their body flight throughout all phases of the dance.   

 

Overall, the choreography and the performance were a striking combination of impressive technical skill, fluid lyricism, athleticism, and stamina. The large audience were rapt throughout the performance and expressed their appreciation by enthusiastic applause at the end.

© Christine M Knight

 

 

The song is available from CD Baby or iTunes. Hera the song on Internet radio

SPOKEN

For years, I worked from nine to five,
Lived life and made my choices blind.          
Friends say: life's got possibility,                
But my life's on hold; it's stationary.             
I know about struggle and groundhog days.
I need to move on to a different phase.     
I’ll make the most of my life (I've been given)
And not let others cloud my vision.

CHORUS (SUNG)
If your life was a song, what would the music be?   
Would the bass drown out the melody?
Would it be an original score
Or a cover of a song heard before?
Whatever turns out to be,
Live it, own it, boldly.

I'm going to write my life song.
I'm going to own the beat.
The lyrics will be of my choosing,
And the sound unique.

SPOKEN

Life without passion can be a daily drudge.
By passion, I don't mean lust; that's not love.
Passion is the joy that gets you through the day.           
It lets you savour each moment and keep stress at bay.
Passion is the spice that gives life all its flavour.    
When times get tough, passion makes you a stayer.  
Passion gives you insights others call epiphany;
You are not bound by limitations but what you dream life can be.

CHORUS (SUNG)
If your life was a song, what would the music be?   
Would the bass drown out the melody?
Would it be an original score
Or a cover of a song heard before?
Whatever turns out to be ...
Whatever turns out to be ...
Whatever turns out to be,
Live it, own it, boldly.

I'm going to write my life song.
I'm going to own the beat.
The lyrics will be of my choosing,
And the sound unique.
I'm going to write my life song.
(write my life song)
I'm going to own the beat.
(own the beat)
The lyrics will be of my choosing,
And the sound unique.

© Christine M Knight 2013

Hi there,

Everyone has dark patches in life that can lead to retreat to a metaphoric dark cave. Hope and the possibility that circumstances may change can be instrumental in bringing a person out of that cave. The music of hope is everywhere, but we need to listen closely. The muddy jangle of life's noise can drown it out.

Have a listen to and look at the song LIFE SONG (A VISION SPLENDID) and the related music video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEioHGbnWiA 

Wednesday night this week, I watched the Under 17s Western Australian versus New South Wales game in the National Volleyball Championships at the Australian Institute for Sport based here in Canberra. My niece is in the New South Wales team. 

The game was a thrilling, closely fought match of five sets. The contest had it all: overhand passes targeted with precision; an incredible series of serves; a variety of lunges; extended, nail-biting rallies where the outcome was hotly contested; spills and injuries, and passionate, chanting supporters. 

The best thing for me about the game: 'being so alive in the moment' and absorbed in the competitive drama before me. I don't normally feel that 'in the moment' in everyday life, but I do live very much in the moment when I am developing one of my novels; I am transported to another world then. 

Back to the volleyball game: I was impressed by the emphasis that both coaches placed on team members graciously accepting each loss of points and the importance of not apportioning blame to individuals. I was equally impressed by the way the girls supported one another on and off the court. The girls and coaches both demonstrated that teams win literally and metaphorically by how they play the game and not just who scored the winning point.     

New South Wales (the blue team) won the match.