Warta-Kiki: Kutcha Edwards & MYO in Celebration

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Sun 18 Jun 2023

"Don't just listen with your ears, listen with your whole being, with your spirit…" - Kutcha Edwards.What's better than a Sunday night with the Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO) - an evening with MYO in collaboration with proud Mutti Mutti, Yorta Yorta and Nari Nari singer/ songwriter Kutcha Edwards!While the wind blew and rain fell outside, we sat comfy and cosy in the gorgeous Melbourne Recital Centre, ready for a unique and emotional journey through music, storytelling and song.



The first half of the performance was all about showing off the talents of the MYO, beginning with one of the young musicians' own compositions before playing two more famous pieces:- Earth Cry by Peter Sculthorpe (1986): portraying the vast and lonely Australian landscape, drawing on Aboriginal drone effects, pounding drums and sounds derived from wildlife.- Death and Transfiguration by Richard Strauss (1889): dedicated to the composer's friend Friedrich Rosch, the music is a furious struggle between life and death.

After a short intermission, the rhythmic sound of clap sticks from backstage announced Kutcha's arrival as he slowly emerged singing in his traditional language. A somewhat large and menacing figure to look at, Kutcha is instantly softened by his soulful voice and humble attitude - sitting on stage with an open heart, sharing stories and memories to introduce each song...
Performing popular songs from his previous albums - Blak & Blu (2012) and Circling Time (2021), as well as his latest release Mother Tongue (2023), Kutcha shared his painful experiences as a survivor of the Stolen Generation and ongoing struggles with feelings of belonging as a result.

At one point he admitted that the music had taken him elsewhere..."I was gone..." he told us. He calls himself an interpreter after all - simply the vessel receiving messages from an unexplained source, and then turning them into song!



Profoundly moved by the orchestra's interpretations of his songs (which he usually creates with just his Omnichord) Kutcha openly cried like a baby throughout the whole performance - repeatedly wiping his eyes and nose on a hanky. It was such a beautiful demonstration of how to embrace strong emotions and allow them to be free. He may have missed a cue at the beginning of a song (mostly because he was not familiar with performing with a large orchestra), but not once did his performance or voice falter despite his overwhelming emotions.
Of course, this means there were tears running down my cheeks (and most likely many others' too)!Like poetry of the senses or the spirit; music has the ability to help us connect to ourselves and others, and to feel more - and don't we all need more of that right now...A truly magical performance and experience.
Warta-Kiki - Come Together
Kutcha Edwards & Melbourne Youth Orchestra
Sunday 18 June 2023, 5:30 pm
Melbourne Recital Centre



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!date 18/06/2023 -- 18/06/2023
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