We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Surf Coast Wanderings

by Anne M Norman

supported by
Katharine Rawdon
Katharine Rawdon thumbnail
/
1.
Far Below 08:06
lyrics
buy track
LYRICS: far below the flooding tide islands of twisted limestone ascending on broad wings a pacific gull hangs before me pierced by his handsome gaze I forget to breathe ... with a tilt he is gone far away people walk to the golden sky their footprints - stitches on a scalloped hem of blinding silver bone 骨 a leaf 葉 a stone 石 an echo 響 shell 貝 a seed 種 a twig 羽 a feather 小枝 walking on the beach I found a bone 骨, a leaf, a stone 石 an echo and a shell 貝, a seed, a twig 羽 a feather sooty oyster catchers wheel across the shallows orange beaks and black backs stark against a sea of foam white waves advance dissolving, dispersing, retreating White waves advance retreating, dissolving I'm captivated mesmerised by wrinkles and ripples mesmerised by wrinkles and folds of translucent filigree sky turns to salmon and the light winks twice eye of the lighthouse ever commanding the comings and goings of ships and tides clouds and stars, birds and beachcombers night falls stars shine light winks will this solitary citadel admit me to climb its stairs another day? a three-note melody whistles through salt-flecked glass come again come again
2.
Ironbark Coast 10:13
lyrics
buy track
Background info on IRONBARK trees: Ironbark is a eucalyptus with deeply fissured dark bark. This bark is resistant to fire, protecting the inner living tissue and epicormic buds, enabling the tree to reshoot. Indigenous peoples of the surf coast steep the blossoms of Red Ironbark in water to produce a sweet beverage, and have used ironbark wood for canoes, throwing sticks, spears, boomerangs and shields. The British and other settlers in the 19th and 20th centuries harvested this very dense hardwood to use on the bottom of ship's skegs to protect them from shipworms, and for railway sleepers, bridges and jetty timbers. They also stripped the red bark from the trees to use for tanning leather. These slow growing trees and their habitat on the surf coast have only been protected in recent decades, so the groves are quite young. Long may they be left to thrive.
3.
Heart Moon 05:08
lyrics
buy track
LYRICS heart moon, peaceful silvery light touching all who live on earth and all who have lived moon that first shone on formless swirls of murky gasses moonlight on shallows of slowly forming thrombolites moon shadow of stalking thylacine... dark moon... new moon... half moon... full moon on a night of full moonlight corals spawn, tides turn, dingoes howl, whales breach ah... moon moon of compassion kissing upturned faces fleeing across stormy seas heart moon... heart moon, light my uncertain path heart moon, light my way
4.
If Stones Could Talk 03:45
info
buy track
5.
Joyful Awakening 03:45
info
buy track
6.
Beyond the Liminal 03:55
info
buy track
7.
Blue on Blue 06:01
lyrics
buy track
LYRICS ocean blue, blue on blue true blue, bright blue every hue of sky blue blue, blue sky blue-eye, blue warehou blue throat wrass in the Bass Straight, mate blue grenadier from the boat at the pier blue whale… on a blue moon blue tune bluefin tuna sunken schooner! code blue! grey seas thrashed and a wild wind blew save the crew! feeling blue storm clouds brew all day through it blew and blew folk stood on the beach and watched while some swam out to help. Help! [Names of the 9 survivors]: Henry LEES Stanley STRETTON Joan GREED Peter WILTSHIRE Michael Ken FOLEY Jnr. William (Wally) NEWLANDS Mrs Norah CONVERY Robert (Bobby) BELLAIRS Edward MacDERMID [A roll call of the 10 crew who died]: Captain John Gilchrist MIDDLETON (master) Orlando Peter BENNIE (first mate) James KIRKPATRICK (providore) Helena Lucy GILL (stewardess) Peter MURRAY (able-bodied seaman) Hugh MULHOLLAND (able-bodied seaman) Michael S. FOLEY Snr. (able-bodied seaman) James THOMPSON (officers steward) John OWEN (fireman) Thomas CLARK (fireman) rainbow bends to kiss the sea rainbow of every hue over ocean grey grey on blue blue sky, blue-eye, blue warehou blue throat wrass in the Bass Straight blue grenadier, here from the boat at the pier blue whale in a blue sea blue on blue
8.
Calls from the Deep 01:08
info
buy track
9.
I am Ocean 05:19
lyrics
buy track
LYRICS: when i’m out there just hanging waiting for the next set of waves there’s an inner silence nothing else in the world exists i am ocean
10.
Cross-stitch of tracks 00:30
info
buy track
11.
Sunrise Paints the Point 04:44
lyrics
buy track
sunrise paints the Point red white water breaks against rock-ledge on morning sand cross-stitch prints of hooded plovers darting between stones
12.
Brolga Dawn 07:27
lyrics
buy track
LYRICS: no words in any human language

about

Surf Coast Wanderings is an album composed to celebrate the Surf Coast of Victoria, from Point Lonsdale to Apollo Bay. A joyous immersion in country, wandering along wind-swept beaches, through woodlands, and plunging into the ocean’s powerful swell.

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this coastline - the Wathawurrung and the Gadubanud peoples. Music, dance and stories have always been ways to celebrate connection to land, waterways, ocean and all the creatures who live here. It has been wonderful to spend time in this area seeking to express my own experiences and impressions through music. My respect to Elders past and present in Wathawurrung and Gadubanud country, and to the Elders of the Boon Wurrung / Bunurong country where I live and completed the scores.

I am extremely grateful to Peter Yates for approaching me to compose a suite of music about the Surf Coast. He also offered to facilitate the recording of a couple of pieces in this album that were already composed but not yet performed or recorded. Peter intimated he was open to any instrumentation for my new pieces, as long as shakuhachi was included, so from July 2022, I explored the environs, allowing the surf coast to tell me what to write.

The creation, rehearsal and recording of this music was graciously funded by the Peter and Susan Yates Foundation, and Peter's associates from the Salzer and Trawalla Foundations. I am also grateful to The Boite for auspising the project, and for the generosity of those who housed me along the coast in my search for compositional inspiration.

Many thanks are also due to my fellow musicians who patiently rehearsed multiple revisions of these works. It was a blast to work with other musos after years of lockdown, and cancellations of gigs and projects. Thanks also to Niko Schauble who tirelessly worked with me in the studio to produce the final mix.

With gratitude, Anne

Download the accompanying PDF and read about the music and the musicians

There is a BONUS TRACK available for those who purchase the album as a whole.

credits

released April 26, 2024

CREDITS:

Polyphonic Voices conducted by Michael Fulcher
Brandon Lee - koto
Ria Soemardjo - solo vocals
Rosanne Hunt - cello, glockenspiel
Stephen Hornby - double bass
Sanshi - didgeridoo
Mizuno Oyuki - koto
Anne Norman shakuhachi, stones
Mei Wah Chan - Soprano
Alexandra Amerides - Alto
Ellery Durrant - Tenor
Jerzy Kozlowski - baritone/bass

Most tracks were recorded by Niko Schauble Pughouse Studios (above) except the two choral works Brolga Dawn & Heart Moon recorded by Michael Hewes in Yuma auditorium. Joyous Awakening and other didgeridoo tracks were recorded by Lee Buddle in Crank Studios, Fremantle. The Album was mixed & mastered by Niko Schauble in Pughouse Studios, Thornbury.

For more information on Anne and her music, visit her website: annenorman.com

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Anne M Norman image

Anne M Norman Melbourne, Australia

Anne is a shakuhachi player performing in a wide range of music. Anne trained in Japan in 3 lineages with Nakamura Shindo, Tajima Tadashi and Yamaguchi Goro. She has played since 1986 (following 14 years of playing silver flute). Some of Anne's albums are available as Compact Disks.
CD orders: absurdpublications.com/products-in-shop/cds/ ... more

contact / help

Contact Anne M Norman

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Anne M Norman recommends:

If you like Anne M Norman, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Seafood Sam joins the show to discuss his newest album, " Standing On Giant Shoulders".
listen now