Gig Description

Singer-songwriter Lucy Wise joins forces with composer, Michael O’Donnell to bring you an afternoon of original folk songs arranged for a 7-piece chamber ensemble. Cups of tea and cake will abound as this collection of some of Melbourne’s most exciting musicians take the audience on a journey through themes of love, joy and sadness, friendships and the relationships people form with their environment. Starting out the concert will be the intrepid fiddle and harp duo Mickey & Michelle.

Lucy Wise has delighted audiences across Australia and internationally with her soulful voice, masterful storytelling, and intricate guitar, ukulele and Appalachian dulcimer playing. Since moving to Melbourne from WA in 2009, Lucy has developed a great reputation for her songwriting, which weaves together traditional Celtic and Appalachian folk and pop influences with a strong focus on storytelling. “Wise is a natural storyteller, infusing songs with a sense of place so strong you can almost feel the dusty earth crunch beneath your feet as she sings.” – The Brag, Sydney

Composer and fiddler Michael O’Donnell is best known for his projects “Pickpockets and Rascalls Orchestra”, jazz outfit “Squeezebox Trio” and children’s podcast “Radio Playdate”. Hailing from The Blue Mountains in NSW, Michael has collaborated with some of Australia’s finest bands, singer-songwriters and rappers including The Crooked Fiddle Band, Ngaiire, Elana Stone, Brain Campeau, Rapaport and many more to create orchestral arrangements of contemporary Australian music. For this concert, Michael has arranged seven of Lucy’s songs for a 7-piece string ensemble, featuring some of Melbourne’s finest acoustic musicians.

Mickey and Michelle is somewhat a meeting of two worlds…Michelle’s extensive classical harp training brings incredible nuance and attention to detail to the folk music she has been surrounded by all her life. This is juxtaposed with Mickey, whose love of improvising and lack of reverence for tradition comes from being thrust into the jazz world after finding the fiddle much later in life. Together they make a different kind of contemporary folk music that combines richly detailed arrangements, wild improvisations and magical two part harmonies.

Throughout the concert, both acts will be sharing the stories of their songs and tunes, spanning from the far Southwest corner of Australia, to the Blue Mountains, to Melbourne and beyond.

1:30pm doors  for a 2pm start

Tickets:
Pre Booked $25 waged / $15 unwaged (book via button below)
At the Door $30 waged / $20 unwaged at the door
Kids under 16 free