Beginning

Commissioned to open the festival at the ICC, Beginning is a sweeping yet deeply personal meditation on country, connection, and shared humanity. Written by alum Natalie Nicolas, the work holds a profound personal resonance, marking a full-circle return to the school where her own musical story first took root.
The piece explores the powerful tension between the vastness of the Australian landscape and the intimacy of human connection. Grounded heavily in place, the text evokes the restless, rugged beauty of the land—from the red earth and desert to the wind, waves, and the calls of the magpie and kookaburra. It opens with a burst of new energy, capturing the exact moment before something unfolds: “Stood here where the land meets sea, restless rugged wild and free… here we come alive.”
At its core, Beginning is an exploration of the human voice and collective emotion. Nicolas transforms the internal into the shared, where private breath becomes collective sound: “In this moment sparks begin, with our breath we sing our hymn…” Through repeating motifs, the music lifts individual stories into the air, carrying them beyond the self. Ultimately, the piece shifts from a performance into a communal gathering, ending on an open invitation to break the silence, draw close, and connect: “We will sing our songs… come and listen.”