By Natalie BennettMonday 4 Sep 2023The Long Lunch with SteveMusicReading Time: 2 minutes

The SCSO concert, A Night at The Proms, on 16th September features the debut of a piece by Australian composer Clifford Bradley, commissioned by the SCSO.

Under the Watchful Eye of the Glass House Giants – An Australian Overture will be a musical journey evoking the unique features of the Sunshine Coast, centering around the history and the majestic splendour of the Glasshouse Mountains and the hoard of wildlife that resides in the mountains and surrounding forests.

Under the Watchful Eye of the Glass House Giants is the first known symphonic piece composed on the Sunshine Coast about the Sunshine Coast.

Clifford Bradley says that “The work is inspired by the amazing variety of wildlife found on the Sunshine Coast and the spectacular mountains that stand silently watching over the region.”

There are four sections to the piece, which runs as a continuous whole;

Part 1: The Forest Awakens
It is dawn in the forest of the Sunshine Coast hinterland; and we hear birds calling amongst the trees, and animals moving on the forest floor as the forest begins to spring to life. It begins with a call of an elusive bird that Clifford has heard from his home, possibly a Pied Butcherbird.

Part 2: The Forest at Play
The forest is now in full swing, with all kinds of life – flying, crawling, scurrying, slithering – getting on with their daily activities.

Part 3: The Awakening of the Giants
We now pause to consider the spectacular Glass House Mountains and their significance to the local Gubbi Gubbi and Jinibara people.

Finale: Standing with Eternity
We, along with all of the marvellous birds and animals of the region are all merely passing through, whilst these majestic giants have stood for thousands of years before us, and will stand for long after we have departed.

Listen to full interview with Clifford Bradley in the player above. 

For more information or to book tickets to A Night at The Proms on 16 September at 7pm, visit theeventscentre.com.au/event/a-night-at-the-proms/ or call The Events Centre Box Office (07) 5491 4240.

General admission $49, Concession $39, Children (2-17 years) $14.