They are the anthems that stir the hearts of our sporting warriors and their fearless followers, the musical call to arms instantly recognised by the faithful – the anthems of our teams.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) has released its rendition of both the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS anthems to mark the Round 16 QClash game tonight, Wednesday September 9, when the two Queensland teams play at the famous ‘Gabba (home to this year’s AFL Grand Final).
Filmed and edited over a few days, the orchestral anthems feature 21 musicians from QSO, standing proudly on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs overlooking Brisbane and looking down to the Gold Coast. The Orchestra commissioned the new arrangement, which was recorded under the baton of emerging conductor Stefanie Smith.
It’s the first time that QSO has performed an AFL anthem. Queensland Symphony Orchestra Chief Executive Craig Whitehead said music and sport belonged together. “One of the bright things to emerge from 2020 has been seeing Queensland become the home of the AFL. Even though the AFL is a sport, there is also a long-standing musical tradition built into the game. As any red-blooded AFL team supporter knows, there is no more exhilarating moment than roaring out your team’s anthem to celebrate victory,” he said.
“As Queensland’s largest musical team, we wanted to celebrate this musical connection – and cheer our on our two Queensland teams, the Gold Coast SUNS and the Brisbane Lions – by performing a rousing rendition of each team’s anthem, especially arranged for the glory and splendour of orchestral instruments. Working with skilled arranger, Nicholas Buc, who has created orchestral arrangements for iconic Australian musicians from Tina Arena to Birds of Tokyo, we have unveiled two brand new renditions of the anthems. We hope people all over Queensland enjoy, and share the joy – Queensland is good to go!”
During this lockdown period, QSO has cheered Queenslanders everywhere with a variety of music videos created all across Brisbane. In musicians’ homes, backyards, parks and playgrounds, the Orchestra has played a variety of music from Bach to Baby Shark, all in their own inimitable ‘Queensland style’.
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