A tribute to Swedish/Australian lutenist, Tommie Andersson

This truly special event celebrates the wonderful career of Swedish/Australian lutenist and guitarist and Marais Project member, Tommie Andersson, and the fantastical life of the great Swedish naturalist, Daniel Solander. Solander was the first university trained scientist – and the first Swede – to visit Australia,  arriving on the Endeavour in 1770.

The program consists of rarely heard Swedish songs and folk tunes from the time of Solander and works by Sweden’s ‘National Poet’, Carl Michael Bellman. A special feature are two songs from the Australian colonial era composer, Isaac Nathan, known as the Father of Australian Music, and other colonial music. A sung ‘Acknowledgment of Country’ by First Nations’ musician, Troy Russell – commissioned by Jenny Eriksson – is an integral component of this event. The music is intertwined with readings from the journals of James Cook and Joseph Banks that describe the strange, ‘upside down’ world that expedition members encountered.