“PEACE is my Drug”, the third song in this set by Katie Noonan, was very much the theme for this quiet, gentle concert of thoughtful, contemplative originals.
Katie Noonan… concert for the soul. Photo by Shervin Lainez
Songs by Noonan and Hurren, written in various places of inspiration such as Bundanon, home of the late Arthur Boyd left for the benefit of artists, or North Stradbroke Island, were interspersed with musical settings of Michael Leunig’s poems and prayers such as “Love is Born”, beautifully profound in their simplicity.
Thoughts of throwing “a smile in the air” and not knowing where it lands, or parenthood and helping a child through the pain of growing up, or letting a broken heart be healed by the salt on the sea breeze, the lick of a stray dog or the song of a bird took us on a journey of music that was more for the soul than the ears.
Even so, this music was as demanding as it was pure. Instrumental accompaniments were abstract, only ever giving the merest hint of where the vocal line had to go. But as Noonan drifted off on to tangents, the vocal line and the accompaniment were as one. It was musical intelligence at its very best.
There were several, albeit relatively brief, solos from Hurren given very much in the vein of the songs and beautiful in their construction. But for Magnussen, we had to wait until the encore to really hear just how much he could make his guitar talk.
The encore was the only “cover”, if it could be called that. Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” got a treatment of sensitivity and soul that was originality at its finest. But towards the end, the familiar strains of the chorus came through. And with encouragement from Noonan, the audience joined in quietly and tunefully, creating a choral backing of spontaneity and beauty for Noonan’s thoughtful harmonies.
A concert for the soul? Even the hardest of souls would be inspired by this music.
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