Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Damage is a music-drama in 7 scenes. It describes a fictional 'day in the life' of four young Aboriginal friends living in Brisbane in 2007. Based on research and the experiences of the librettists, Damage is a graphic, and sometimes humourous depiction of the petty racism, marginalisation, and instances of race-based violence Indigenous Australians still frequently grapple with today. Set against the backdrop of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and in particular the deaths of Daniel Yock in Brisbane in 1993 and Cameron Doomadgee on Palm Island in 2004, Damage is a 'survivors' guide' that honours the power of community and friendship in an unkind world.

Work Details

Year: 2007

Instrumentation: 4 actor/singers, SATB chorus with soloists, string orchestra (or string quintet), electric lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboard/synth/piano, acoustic guitar (on-stage), percussion (3 players: 2 vibraphones, xylophone, glockenspiel, drum kit, claves, snare drum, bass drum, cymbal, triangle, tam-tam).

Duration: 90 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — some contemporary techniques

Commission note: Commissioned by Brisbane Canto Coro

First performance: by Canto Coro, Mark Dunbar, Nik Hills — 23 Aug 07. Ahimsa House, West End, Brisbane

Text by Graham Akhurst, Carmen Attel, Mark Dunbar & Nik Hills.

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
music theatre, musical, opera, Aboriginal content, contemporary Australian Indigenous content, social justice