Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country we rehearse, sing and work, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. Our voices bring to life the songs of many cultures and countries, from across the ages, in a spirit of sharing, learning and understanding. The ancient customs and cultures of this land inspire us to create harmony – in music and our society.

TARIMI NULAY –LONG TIME LIVING HERE

Deborah Cheetham and Matthew Doyle

Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here was commissioned for our centenary year (2020) as a choral Acknowledgement of Country to commence our concerts.

With Tarimi Nulay, Deborah Cheetham (music and words) and Matthew Doyle (the translation into Gadigal) have created a work that explores a profound cultural and spiritual reflection of the land on which we sing.

Tarimi Nulay was premiered in the Dawn Chorus performance on the steps of the Sydney Opera House at the beginning of 2020 and has been heard in performances we have given since then. It has been programmed to begin each concert in our 2022 season and we hope this special piece will be part of Sydney Philharmonia performances for many years to come.

Deborah Cheetham AO – Yorta Yorta, soprano, composer and educator – has been a leader in the Australian arts landscape for more than 25 years. In 2009 she established Short Black Opera, devoted to the development of Indigenous singers. In 2010 she produced Pecan Summer, Australia’s first Indigenous opera. In 2014 she was named an Officer of the Order of Australia, for ‘distinguished service to the performing arts as an opera singer, composer and artistic director, to the development of Indigenous artists, and to innovation in performance’. Her commissions include the major choral-orchestral work Eumeralla – A War Requiem for Peace (2019).