Sense of ensemble

Viewing guide

Introduction

This resource, divided into eight video clips, contains an interview with Tim Freedman from The Whitlams and conductor Ben Northey. The interview followed a concert at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and The Whitlams featuring arrangements of Tim’s songs. Further teaching resources can be found at the 'Resources for teachers' page on the Sydney Symphony website.

In this first clip, Tim and Ben talk about bringing together two diverse ensembles.

During

Listen for and take note of
- Tim speaking about songs being able to ‘bear the weight of arrangements and eighty instruments’
- Ben talking about ‘strong songs’.
Make a note of the challenges and rewards they identify with this collaboration. What musical styles does the collaboration bring together?

After

What was Tim referring to when he talked about songs being able to ‘bear the weight of arrangements and eighty instruments’?
What do you think Ben meant by ‘strong songs’? Give some examples.
Identify some challenges faced by the orchestra and discuss one of these in a group.
Choose two contrasting musical examples representing two musical styles. Compare these two styles in regard to tone colour and dynamics and expressive techniques. Outline the similarities and differences in a table.

Teaching notes

Educational value statement

The Whitlams meet the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was produced through a partnership between the Sydney Opera House and the NSW Department of Education (then the NSW Department of Education and Training). It consists of an interview (divided into eight video clips) with Tim Freedman from The Whitlams and conductor Ben Northey following the 2009 Education concert at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Sinfonia and The Whitlams. The program included arrangements of Tim’s songs by The Whitlams, Ben Northey, Peter Sculthorpe and others.

This resource supports teaching and learning in Music Stage 4, 5 and 6 (Music 1). The following tasks could be completed in conjunction with the resource.

Stage 5 songwriting composition task

Stage 6 Music 1 aural and performance task

Related links

Visit The Whitlams website.

Visit the website of Ben Northey

Watch The Whitlams and Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s first rehearsal of No Aphrodisiac.

Explore the resources for teachers available on the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s website.

Watch the Sydney Symphony on YouTube.

Explore the Sydney Opera House website.

Transcript

[Music: No Aphrodisiac by The Whitlams performed with the Sydney Symphony Sinfonia]

Freya Lombardo (interviewer): Tim, what does the band gain in performing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and with such a large number of musicians?

Tim Freedman: I suppose it’s flattering that someone somewhere along the line thought the songs could bear the weight of arrangements and eighty instruments. Then when I get to hear what the arrangers have done it’s always very exciting because they take the song further. They add melodies, they add textures and they do things to the songs that I’m not capable of doing.

Ben Northey: One thing to say about Tim’s songs is that ...

Tim: Oh don’t.

Ben: No, no, no, no.

Tim: Oh, no don’t.

Ben: You haven’t heard what I’m going to say yet.

Tim: I’m blushing already.

Ben: No, I was just going to say they’re strong songs by themselves. That’s why they work as arrangements for an orchestra because only good songs are able to be treated in so many different ways. If they were more one dimensional songs it wouldn’t work and it wouldn’t have the same effect with the orchestra. So, because they’re interesting and the things he was talking about, unexpected harmonic changes and melodic lines and all this kind of thing, that leads you in a direction as an arranger as well to be more adventurous. They’re just strong songs. They’re strong songs just with piano and voice. That’s why you can just add whatever you want to them and it works.

Freya: Can you share with us some of the challenges of putting together a concert like this?

Ben: The challenges are due to the fact that this represents a really different activity for the orchestra. So, for a start the concerts are amplified so what they’re hearing on the stage is very, very different than their normal acoustic sound. And stylistically there’s a lot of challenges in the sense that the musical language of a rock band is very different than the musical language of a symphony orchestra. So it’s a matter of finding as much common ground as you possibly can. There’s no shortage of challenges but at the same time it’s very rewarding when we’re able to overcome those things and really make it one ensemble as opposed to two separate groups.

[Music from The Whitlams]

Tim: The very best thing is being in the middle of it on stage and hearing how stirring it is, hearing people enjoy it, hear our music in a different context and in a different type of room.

[Music fades out]