HE had a uniquely Australian sound and became our most acclaimed contemporary composer.
Peter Sculthorpe, who died this weekend, had a distinctly emblematic Australian voice that reflected the sparseness of our landscape. It resonated both at home and internationally.
I had the privilege to interview Sculthorpe and found him to be a charming, imaginative, humble man with a beautiful artistic spirit.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s classical music critic Peter McCallum said today that Sculthorpe’s passing was a loss for the music world. “His charm mixed with an instinct for austerity, spareness and an imagination for the sounds of a lonely Australian place created a uniquely distinctive musical voice.”
“Sculthorpe was the first Australian composer to create a distinctly Australian sound and style . Before Sculthorpe, most educated Australians could not have named an Australian composer. His genial influence on students and composers encouraged generations of composers to look inward rather than abroad to discover their own voice,” said McCallum
Here’s a brief example of this great man’s work. There’s plenty more on youtube if you wish to liste n
Bryan Patterson's Faithworks 
Andreas Vanpouke’s wiki page has no links at all. I think they would like this shown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Vanpoucke
LikeLike
It’s really such a fantastic thing to say Bryan. “uniquely Australian” and “our”.
As a multi cultic you have been flat out destroying “Australian” identity for years. What was really honestly a unique history has been utterly destroyed by liberal left mult cultics.
But you now get sentimental over what no longer exists.
Said Suicide bomber went to Northcote High School – state funded public education taught him nothing about Jesus Christ, nothing about the real differences between Islam’s allah and Christianity’s God and what made Europe Europe.
And Hip Hip Hooray, you want to say you know “uniquely Australian”; because it’s something you like.
Anyway it’s nearly over/ even these too little too late rants. Between Ebola, economic meltdown and local Jihadis bringing the Balkans to their Caliphate building program nostalgia will be way down on the survival list.
Thanks.for the fish; or something banal and uniquely Douglas Adams science fictional – like yesterday’s Australia.
LikeLike
You’re a sad man PhillipGeorge.
LikeLike
I get where you’re coming from Phillip.
I recently visited the country of my parents birth and am still grieving over the change that has occurred in the 38 years since I was last there. Before, there was no doubt that it was unique, but not so now that it has joined the European Union. Before, you only had locals serving you in shops, hotels, restaurants, and anything to do with tourism, but not so now. Now, the locals have been replaced with surly men from the former Eastern Bloc countries such as Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Russia, etc., and young people from Serbia, France, Spain, Italy, England, Germany, and the rest. Apparently, I was told, they are cheaper to hire than the locals!
My Mum’s family home is still standing, but now, instead of locals living in the area, all I see are dark skinned people from Africa living there.
I miss the little Mediterranean island I knew from 38 years ago. I am still grieving over the loss of its identity and uniqueness, but I guess I have to change with the times; global village and all that…..progress? Not sure. But one thing I know, no use living in fear as fear is the imagination having a field day. What we perceive as negative and destructive could (and usually does) turn out to be the exact opposite.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
but I guess I have to change with the times; global village and all that
Poor Mon, the meme is that all progress is good. Problem is “that’s not right”. Change for change’s sake, fashion for fashion’s sake alone, progress of novelty’s sake alone takes people into all sorts of dark corners. The gospel puts it in terms of sinners not able to sleep until they have thought up new depravities.
The core of Islam is blasphemy and you no more have to accept or encourage that than
satanists disappearing third world children for human sacrifice. I’ve all along been wanting to highlight differences here between liberal values christianity, saccharine sweet sounding vacuous words, and where Australian/ Aussie seven year old boys holding severed heads is really coming from.
I’m sure plenty of liberal values modern softies don’t even believe satan exists. Their diversity mantra will one day haunt them. There’s nothing personal in this. It’s just “one sows what one reaps”.
This is not really an honest dialogue happening.
LikeLike
You’re right PhillipGeorge, this not an honest dialogue.
“As Christians, we have a duty to champion the truth. We should avoid spreading unsubstantiated claims and inflaming dread and panic by playing on people’s natural disgust of harm to children. ISIS is an organization that has committed heinous acts of violence and violated the human rights of many of our fellow believers. But we must not partake in the spreading of lies, even if it is against our enemies.”
LikeLike
Monica,
Isnt it true that for almost 2000 years, SOME Christians have been anticipating those ‘end times’, and it still hasnt happened? Why do they insist that THIS age is specifically the one, when so often in the past., it was virtually the totality of the Christian faithful who were sure it was just about to happen?
Just how long will Christians be prepared to hang on and wait? Another five years, twenty years? A hundred years? A thousand years? At some time or other the likelihood is that they will have to agree that their theory and interpretation of Scripture has been mistaken.
For many of us, the whole sad mistake is based on the specific concept that history is simply a straight line from Creation to Conclusion, – just a minute blip in the greatness of eternity. We tend to hold the view that the Cosmic system arranged by the ‘gods’, is infinitely huge and cyclical in operation, and with no specific start and no specific finish.
Rian.
LikeLike
Hi Rian,
How are you? Well I hope.
“Isnt it true that for almost 2000 years, SOME Christians have been anticipating those ‘end times’, and it still hasnt happened?”
Yes, absolutely! And I certainly understand your cynicism. But I surely believe it when Jesus says in the Bible that He is coming back soon:
Revelation 22:12-13
Jesus Testifies to the Churches
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.
“Soon/quickly” could be another 2000 years though. That’s not the point. The point is to be ready for, “of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”
Twenty years ago, God allowed me to have an amazing vision. At that time I did not believe the Bible to be God’s word. I was sitting at the foot of my bed just silently praying, and all of a sudden I heard a distant rumble that got louder and louder, to the point that the bed started to shake. I audibly heard first and then physically felt the atmosphere shake, second, and then I beheld in splendid colour a multitude of horses galloping towards me (nearly frightened me to death!). Jesus was in the lead and He was carrying a sword in his right hand and Michael the archangel was slightly behind him, and all the heavenly host was with him; a mighty army each brandishing their swords, wind blowing in their faces…..it was a terrifying sight! And when I sought the Lord for an explanation of my vision, He told me that He was coming back to judge the people with uprightness, and horror of horror, I understood Him as telling me that it will be in my lifetime. But of course, I question that part. I do not believe I should be taking that revelation as literal, but that I should be ready (as if I would still be around to see Jesus’ return).
So yes, personal revelation is subjective, but God’s Word isn’t.
“When Jesus Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation, He will bring with Him a heavenly host or “armies” from heaven (Revelation 19:14) as he fights the final battle to regain planet Earth and set-up His millennial kingdom.”
Cheers old mate! 🙂
LikeLike
Monica my love,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, there is the alternative thought that such a finale will actually be further delayed, to occur in another couple of thousand years. And then perhaps the popular expectation of ‘soon’ may be the result of an incorrect interpretation of the Scriptural references. Maybe it should be given rather as ‘suddenly’, and when the waiting faithful are not necessarily expecting it, rather than ‘in the near future’ as we understand ‘soon’.
One other thing that leaves me a bit befuddled, is the description of a Jesus Christ at the head of some sort of angelic army. That there would be a literal war on earth. Heck, if there are spirit forces battling on each of the two sides, then how could any human or earthly being manage to participate in it? Or who would be silly enough to do so?
And another thing, why on earth does there need to be some sort of confrontation on earth, at all? Surely being part of the triune Godhead, Jesus would only need to ‘say the word’, and the ultimately fallible CREATED beings or creatures that represent the diabolical opposition would simply disintegrate instantly?
I’m just recalling the image that CS Lewis provided, wherein Christianity is something like a ‘Fifth Column’ movement in this earth, SECRETLY working with the God to undermine the powers of the Evil One. It is a bit like the early Christian theory that claimed that Christ came in disguise, for the Devil to ‘capture’ and have executed, so that he would have no opposition in his plan to hold the world. And then, of course, with the occurrence of the Resurrection, he was defeated, and at last realized the truth that he had been deceived.
Such a concept of a Satan who has no idea about the real truth or identity of Jesus, or who has no knowledge of the Christian Bible with its prayers and studies, seems rather naive to me. Surely Evangelicals of today dont hold such concepts. Does anyone today agree with the story that CS Lewis tells there?
Once again, too, there is simply no way that one can call up any literal evidence for these ideas, or for the future fulfillment of any prophecies in Revelations. You cannot test it.
Love, Rian. (Yep, I’m fine. Getting through the local freezing winter with no wogs or whatever. trust all well with you.)
LikeLike
God just leaves me speechless!
Felt to look up Morning Star Ministries and lo and behold, Rick Joyner has recently been talking about Christ’s return on his Daily Devotionals:
Day 122 – Bringing the Day of God
“In II Peter 3:12 we have a remarkable statement when Peter says that we should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God….” Since I first read it thirty years ago, this Scripture has caused me to marvel, possibly more than any other. Can we really hasten the coming of the Lord? The answer is “Yes!”
How can we possibly hasten the coming of the day of God? When the church makes herself ready, becoming the glorious bride that she is called to be, the Lord is not going to be able to resist her! The Father will just have to let His Son go to her! Then the King and His queen, who will love with perfect love, will rule over the earth until it has been fully restored from the corruption of the Fall. Then it will be delivered back to the Father (see I Corinthians 15:22-28).
As we see in the Song of Solomon, the charms of the bride are likened mostly to fruit and the things that make up a bountiful harvest. That is how we make ourselves ready, growing in the fruit of the Spirit, and bringing in the harvest. The truth is, if we grow in the fruit of the Spirit, it will result in a harvest.
Possibly the main reason why the church has repelled so many people is because of our historic tendency to emphasize doctrine instead of life. Certainly we must love the truth, and want to have sound biblical doctrine, but having the doctrine without the life only makes us hypocrites. The truth is the world has plenty of evidence that very few Christians really believe what they preach because if they really believed it they would live differently.
However, of even greater concern than how the church so often repels people, should be how it repels the Lord! If we were more concerned about why the Lord does not come to our meetings, they would be changed into something that would attract both the Lord and people. When Jesus is lifted up, not just doctrines, and not just buildings, programs, or our own personalities, all people will be drawn to Him” .
I’ve been listening to the song ‘Hosanna’ for the last two weeks now, and I wanted to put it on the blog last week but the blog wouldn’t accept it. It’s all about timing, and it’s like God’s been shouting at me, “Lift Me up. I AM the answer; the remedy.” And now I find that Rick Joyner is saying the same thing.
LikeLike
There’s more of what Rick Joyner has to say on the matter of Christ’s return:
Day 123 – Dressing for Heaven
“We discussed how the “coming of the day of the Lord” can be hastened by the bride making herself ready (see Revelation 19:7). The Lord will not return until the bride says: “Come!” (see Revelation 22:17). When the yearning in the bride grows to the point where she can no longer endure without Him, He will be so attracted to her that He will have to come for her. It is this yearning for the Lord that will cause the bride to get ready for Him.
We may think all Christians long for the return of the Lord, but it is more likely very few really do at this time. Of course, as soon as we have a major trial, we tend to want Him to come to get us out of it, but few seem to want Him to return because they love Him so much.
Few Christians would actually admit it, but most actually do not want Him to return any time soon.
It is not going to be fear of the times, or even fear of the Lord, that causes the bride to make herself ready. She wants to be without spot or wrinkle because she loves Him so much and wants to be perfect for Him. As John wrote concerning His return in I John 3:3, “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” When the yearn-ing for the return of the Lord compels the church to make herself ready, she will consequently hasten His return.
There is nothing more contagious on this earth than a person who is getting closer to the Lord. If just one person in every congregation catches this passion for the Lord, the entire worldwide body of Christ would soon be transformed. This will happen at some point, and the conditions are right for it now. The drier the wood the quicker it will catch fire, and much of the body of Christ is in quite a spiritual drought at this time. Only the thirsty will seek a drink, and some are becoming thirsty enough to begin seeking Him again.
It is good to want the Lord so much that we yearn for the second coming, but why don’t we start by yearning for His manifest presence in our congregations? Our families? Our jobs? Jesus said in John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” Of course, He was talking about the cross here, but the earth and all it contains was made by the Lord and for Him. Nothing that was created can be fulfilled until it is accomplishing the purpose for which it was created, and that can only be done in union with Him. Even if it is misunderstood by most, there is a deep yearning in every soul for God. When He is lifted up, He attracts.
Lifting up the Lord is much more than just talking about Him. It is also more than acknowledging His lordship and glory—it is seeing Him transcend over all things. It is seeing more of Him than anything else.
The fire and passion of our first love with Christ can easily be maintained if we will seek Him. Not only is He perfect, but there is no end to the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Him. He is forever not only interesting, but intriguing beyond anything ever created. We will never exhaust the wonders and marvels of God Himself. Once we start truly beholding the glories that are in Him, we are ruined for life. We just have to have more and more of Him. The more of Him we have, the more addicted to Him we become. But don’t worry—He is a well of living water that will never run dry!”
Morning Star Ministries
LikeLike
It takes courage to be honest Phillip, especially on a blog.
But freedom of speech is the only tool we have to stand for our convictions.
No, not all change is for the better, but we’re living in the End Times, and God warned us about it. I believe this is the answer:
LikeLike
I feel sure Jesus truly meant to return within the lifetime of his friends, but his Father had other plans for him.
As far as the end of the world being near, that isn’t necessarily the end of the universe, or this galaxy, or this solar system, or this planet. We can still be close to the end of human life here.
And anyway, in any one day we can never be sure of being here the next.
LikeLike
Amen!
Thanks for that Strewth. :kiss:
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike