Film Music by Derek Strahan THE AUSTRALIAN ARK Revolve RDS 008 Music from Robert Raymond’s film documentary series “Shell’s Australia” Classical and Jazz musicians of Australia: Neville Amadio, Don Westlake, Clarence Mellor, John Cran, Guy Henderson, Bill Frater, Robert W. Miller, John Sangster, Derek Fairbrass, Graeme Lyall, Milton Saunders, Brian Dean, Lennie Hutchinson COMPOSER’S NOTES: Between 1969 and 1973 I had the good fortune to compose music for a 13-part documentary series produced, written and hosted by Robert Raymond. Shown in Australia by Channel 7 under the title “Shell’s Australia”, the series surveyed the Australian continent, its formation, wild life and first inhabitants. The music was recorded progressively in seven 3-hour recording sessions at Studio 301, EMI, Sydney and 2 sessions at 2MBS radio station, St. Leonards, North Sydney, and is presented here with the kind permission of Opus Films. The music progressively built up into a sound library from which tracks were drawn for use in future programs in the series. The program’s original working title, “The Australian Ark”, denotes an isolated environment in which the evolution of life took its own individual course. When Robert Raymond obtained sponsorship for the premier showings on Sydney’s TV channel ATN-7, the series title “Shell’s Australia” was adopted, and it was by this title that the series became widely known. All recordings sessions were managed and directed by the composer. “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK” SUITE NO. 1 “AMAZING MARSUPIALS” (1970) Music written for the episode celebrating Australia’s distinctive life forms. Duration: 17’02”. ARTIST CREDITS: Neville Amadio, Flute / Donald Westlake – Clarinet / Brian Dean – Guitar / Lennie Hutchinson – Bass Guitar / Derek Fairbrass – Drum kit, Maracas / John Sangster – Timpani, Xylophone, Tabla, Gourd / Derek Strahan – Piano (Track 9). “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK” SUITE NO. 2 “THE CHANGING SHAPE OF AUSTRALIA” (1971) Music written for the episode tracing the formation of the Australian continent from the earliest geological times when it formed part of the vast proto-continent Gondwanaland. Duration: 11’47” ARTIST CREDITS: New Sydney Wind Quintet: Neville Amadio - Flute / Donald Westlake – Clarinet, Guy Henderson – Oboe/Cor Anglais / Clarence Mellor – French Horn, John Cran - Bassoon / Derek Fairbrass – Drum Kit / John Sangster – Timpani, Xylophone, Bongos,Tabla, Gourd “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK” SUITE NO. 3 “THE COMING OF MAN” (1973) Music written for the episode tracing the arrival of man on the Australian continent. Some of the themes are based on musical scales used by peoples of the Arnhem Land region, including a mode whose “tonic” is on the seventh from the didjeridu’s pedal note. Duration: 10.11 ARTIST CREDITS: Bill Frater-Flute; John Cran-Bassoon; Derek Fairbrass, John Sangster, Percussion. “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK” SUITE NO. 4 “LAND OF BIRDS” (1972) Music written for the episode surveying Australia’s varied bird life and habitats. Duration: 8.52 ARTIST CREDITS: Neville Amadio-Flute/Alto Flute; Donald Westlake-Clarinet; Robert W. Miller, Cello. Duration: 8.52 “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK” (1970) SUITE NO. 5 Employing a small combo, these tracks provide treatments of main themes inclining in style towards impressionism, jazz or blues (to contrast with more classical arrangements obtained in other sessions). Duration: 10.15 ARTIST CREDITS: Brian Dean – Guitar / Lennie Hutchinson - Bass Guitar / Derek Fairbrass - Drum Kit / John Sangster, Xylophone/Percussion / Derek Strahan – Piano (Track 42). “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK” SUITE NO. 6 “ON THE REEF” (1969) “Life & Death on the Barrier Reef” and “Save the Reef” not only revealed the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, but also alerted Australian and overseas audiences to the entrepreneurial greed of the Crown of Thorns starfish in its attempts to take over the Reef and, in the process, destroy it. The music is fully notated, using a jazz idiom. It aims to depict various life forms which thrive in the reef habitat, human and otherwise! Duration: 19.45 ARTIST CREDITS: Graeme Lyall – Saxophone / Milton Saunders - Organ / Lennie Hutchinson – Bass Guitar / Derek Fairbrass - Drum Kit / John Sangster, Xylophone/Bongos, Tabla, gourd /”Ssh” Voice. BIOGRAPHIES DEREK STRAHAN – BA CANTAB Derek Strahan was born in Penang, Malaysia on May 28th 1935, and spent his early childhood in colonial Malaya. He was evacuated with his mother and sister to Perth, W.A, when Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942. In 1946 the Strahans settled in Northern Ireland and Derek completed his schooling in Belfast. He obtained a scholarship to study at Cambridge University, where he graduated in 1954 with a BA Cantab (Modern Languages) (French and Spanish). At university, he maintained a commitment to music and also developed an interest in theatre and cinema, acting in a number of university productions. From 1954 to 1960 he worked in London as relief teacher, actor, singer-songwriter and assistant film director making commercials. In 1961 he returned to Australia and settled in Sydney, where he combined composing film and concert music with work as film director, scriptwriter, actor, singer/songwriter, lecturer and, currently, script assessor for the Australian Writers’ Guild. His compositions include music for over 30 films documentaries, 3 feature films, over 30 works of concert music encompassing solo, ensemble, vocal and orchestral pieces. Much of his film and concert music has been released on CD, and, since 1982, has been consistently broadcast on national radio. Strahan's music is melodic, making use of polyphony and polymetrics, and has attracted performance by distinguished artists, including Lauris Elms AM OBE, Deborah de Graaff, David Miller, AM, Georg Pedersen, Michael Scott, Alan Vivian and Michael Askill. ROBERT RAYMOND (1922 – 2003) Robert Raymond, author/producer, the man who devised the original ABC TV’s Four Corners current affairs program back in 1961, died in Sydney on 26 September, 2003 at the age of 81. He was probably responsible for more Australians knowing more about their continent than any other individual. His consistently interesting career began in journalism in London in 1940 writing for Truth newspapers. His assignments included, as the youngest war correspondent on the job (aged 21), coverage of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. He wrote freelance for “Picture Post”, “Illustrated”, and was columnist for “New Statesman & Nation”. From 1948-52 he was assigned as Press Officer in Ghana, West Africa, to the huge Volta River Dam Project, responsible for educating the population, largely through visual aids, about the importance and benefits of owning one of the world’s largest aluminium mines. His interest in film dates from this period. In 1957 he joined the ABC in Sydney as TV producer in the Talks Department; was the first producer of Four Corners; then executive producer of Channel 9’s special projects division from 1963-68. From 1969 his own production company, Opus Films, maintained a continuing output of film documentary series: “Shell’s Australia”; “Discover Australia’s National Parks”; “Pelican’s Progress” – with illustrated publications to match. After 20 years producing programs for commercial networks, he returned to the ABC with two major documentary series, Out of the Fiery Furnace and Man on the Rim. In 1983 Bob Raymond was appointed to the Board of the ABC. In 1988 he was awarded an OAM and he was honoured with a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) from the University of Sydney. All who knew Raymond were impressed not only by his intellect but also by an unfailing gentlemanly charm. John Oakley, a member of Raymond's production crew for almost 43 years, said of him: ""He carried people along with his unrelenting zest for life and infectious enthusiasms. He never shouted or got angry; it's unimaginable and just wasn't his style". Robert Raymond is survived by Angela and Candy, Marion, his second wife, and Robert, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. This music was first published on REVOLVE CASSETTE RDS001 “DEREK STRAHAN MEDIA MUSIC”, and subsequently, by producer Robert Allworth on several Jade CDs. Suites 1 & 2 were released on Jade CD “Afternoon Light” (JADCD-1076). Suites 3 & 4 on “Fandango” (JADCD-1078). Suite No. 5 on Jade CD “Dulcie Holland & Friends” (JADCD-1089). Suite No. 6 was released as “On The Reef” Suites 1 & 2 on Jade CDs “The Glass house Suite” (JADCD-1057) and “Romantic Australian Classics” (JADCD-1061). PRODUCTION CREDITS: SUITES NO. 1 to 5: STUDIO 301, EMI, 1970. Sessions produced by Derek Strahan. Digital pre-mastering, 1998, Bob Scott. SUITE No. 6: 2MBS, Studio B, 1969. Session produced by Derek Strahan. Digital pre-mastering, 1996, Bob Scott. Digital pre-mastering conversion: Steve Smart, Studio 301, Sydney (02) 9698 5888 Manufactured by: mad CDs, Phone: (02) 9572 9669 Cover Art & Typesetting: Louis Cooke (02) 9799 7050 Producer: Derek Strahan, for Revolve Pty. Ltd. All Revolve & Jade CDs can be acquired online at the US online store CDBaby. Website: http://www.cdbaby.com “THE AUSTRALIAN ARK”, REVOLVE RECORDINGS RDS 008 © 1970-1974 Derek Strahan (P) 2010- Revolve Pty. Ltd. Revolve Pty. Ltd. P.O. Box 422, Cronulla, NSW 2230, Australia Phone/Fax: 612 8544 0184 Mobile: 0425 243 596 Email: dstrahan@revolve.com.au