Sky Song by Sarah Hopkins & Alan Lamb

The unique soundscapes created by Sarah Hopkins & Alan Lamb are reflections of the vast Australian landscape. "The first time I heard 'Sky Song' I knew I was having what some people would call a transcendental experience. The music which sounds as if it is coming from the stars, brought tears to my eyes." - Richard Creswick, National Media Liaison Service, Darwin, Australia.

Tracks include: The Winds of Heaven, Sky Song, Cello Chi, Mirages, Flight of the Wild Goose & New Journey. Instrumentation: cello, vocals, overtone singing, harmonic whirlies, wires singing in the wind & wind chimes.

All the music on this album has a timeless, eternal feel. The music of 'Sky Song' was created & recorded by Sarah Hopkins & Alan Lamb between 1985 & 1988 in Fremantle, Western Australia & Darwin, Northern Territory.

Alan Lamb began recording telegraph wires whilst on sabbatical in Scotland where he first recognised the extraordinary range & beauty of their 'singing' in response to the wind. In 1975, on his return to Australia he bought half a mile of abandoned telegraph wires for $10 in the outback of Western Australia & adapted them into his first 'wind organ'. With little musical training & much intuition he learned to play the wires & weave his recordings into haunting compositions which capture the essence of the Australian landscape.

Alan & Sarah began collaborating in 1984 through their shared interest in natural harmonics. Sarah's solo instrumentation of harmonic whirlies, overtone singing & extended cello was highly compatible with Alan's 'wire music'.

Sarah writes about co-creating 'The Winds of Heaven' for voice in the wires (Track 1) :
"As part of our 'Wire Music Installation' in Darwin, Alan had strung a long wire between two abandoned steel telegraph poles. Soon after, we discovered that the hollow poles were great resonators which, when sung into, would carry the sound of the voice up into the wires and go for miles. Alan placed sensitive ceramic microphones on the wire to record my voice as I sang into the pole an improvised song. The wind picked it up & I heard it vibrating the wire as if by some mysterious law of beauty. There are no studio effects or multi-tracking..... This song is an improvisation which was recorded live - outdoors in a field !"

Darwin was Sarah's home from 1981-1990 & during that time she created lots of amazing innovative music inspired by the powerful energy & beauty of the Northern Territory. Since 1991 Sarah has been based in Brisbane where she continues to create & release recordings of her unique solo & collaborative music ('Reclaiming the Spirit', 'Honour the Earth', 'Shining', 'Sounds of Global Harmony', 'Kindred Spirits' & 'Past Life Melodies'). 'Past Life Melodies' is Sarah's signature composition. Scored for a mixed voice a cappella choir it is regularly performed by many choirs around the world.

Alan is still based in Fremantle, Western Australia & continues his passion for 'Wire Music' creating various 'Wind Organs' around Australia.

- The 'Sky Song' music was commissioned in 1987 by Brown's Mart Community Arts Project, Darwin with funding from the Australian Bicentennial Authority & the Music Board of the Australia Council. Performances of this music took place in Australia & New Zealand during 1988 within the 'Sky Song' music & dance production.

"Sarah Hopkins' music is truly uplifting, soothing for the soul, innovative & exotic. A real gem in Australian music" ~ Zoli Mauritz, Festival Director. She is a unique Australian composer-performer, internationally acclaimed for her visionary music & inspiring performances for cello, overtone singing, handbells, choir & the celestial sounding Harmonic Whirlies of her own creation.

sarahhopkins.com.au
harmonicwhirlies.com.au