What a delight this winter has been, full of warmth, wine and friendship as I shared Women of Note at Soirees around Perth.

I was so privileged to be invited to contribute to these parties. I met neighbours, readers, writers and music lovers who all seemed as excited as me about the richness of Australia’s women composers. Thank you to everyone for your extravagant hospitality and plenty of book sales!

We had some fascinating conversations about experimental/noise music. Listening to Cat Hope The Corridors of Pain:  “Do the people who create this stuff think the music is whatever you bring to it?”
Ros Bandt’s Stack: electroacoustic symphony is still shocking for people who don’t wouldn’t consider this music.

During a blind ‘listening test’ of two choral works written in 1999 most people chose Dawn Mantra (Ross Edwards) over Choral Scenes (Helen Gifford) as the work most likely to be written by a woman. Many people were surprised to discover how many composers they did in fact recognise, and of course EVERYONE loves Elena Kats-Chernin’s Eliza’s Aria.

Here are some photos from Soirees hosted by a dear friend Wendy and another at Julie’s birthday.

Fabulous host Wendy

Julie and friends listening to Kats-Chernin’s Happy Birthday Rag
Engrossed audience

For your opportunity to host or attend a Women of Note Soiree please get in touch.

And stay tuned because plans are underfoot for some Spring Soirees at independent bookstores around town.