Description
Peter Mace – Australian Made
CD Review by Ian Dearden
TN164 July 24
Presenting a spoken word album is an interesting challenge.
This delightful album from Peter Mace meets that challenge with skill and charm.
Each recitation commences with a brief musical interlude.
For some poems, it’s a single instrument, such as a concertina, a digeridoo or whistle, for other poems it’s a duo, a larger ensemble or even a full brass band.
This is not, however, an album of recitations backed by music, but rather, introduced by music.
The twelve poems come partly from Peter’s own pen ‘Solving The Dingo Menace’, ‘Lost With All Hands’, ‘Size Does Matter’, Men Of league’, ‘Over The Fence And You’re Out’, but also from the likes of John Dengate (‘Australian Made’), Duke Tritton (‘The Sandy Hollow Line’) and Veronica Weal (‘Spirits Of The Outback’).
The subject matter ranges from the hilarious (‘Surrogate Dad’, ‘Size Does Matter’, ‘Solving The Dingo Menace’) to the poignant (‘Waiting For The Train’, ‘Lost With All Hands’, ‘I Killed A Man At Graspan’, ‘Spirits Of The Outback’), the nostalgic (‘Over The Fence And You’re Out’, ‘All Gone’) and patriotic (“Australian Made’, ‘Men Of League’).
It’s a truly satisfying and wide ranging collection, and if you happen to be a reciter, an excellent repository of potential material for your set.
If you have the slightest interest in bush poetry, this is an album for you, superbly recorded by Norm Merrigan and beautifully recited by Peter Mace!!
Ed. This album is available from the Trad&Now website and can be heard from time to time on Trad&Now Live!
