3 days ago
Michael Atherton: A lifetime student of music from ancient Egypt, medieval Europe and beyond
Michael Atherton has had his fingers in so many musical pies it's hard to know how to sum him up. He is a composer, a music therapist, an educator, a writer of books and a multi-instrumentalist. Indeed, with the Renaissance Players , Sirocco , The Atherton Table Band and Southern Crossings , he has played so many instruments he must have lost count. Just turned 75, he can add memoirist to his list of achievements, and that was our cue to get him into the studio for a long chat and attempt to make sense of his varied career.
Michael's memoir Never Miss A Beat is out now via Ashwood Publishing.
Music in this program:
Title: Fresco
Artist: Michael Atherton
Composer: Michael Atherton
Album: Nine Elemental Songs
Label: Wirripang
Title: Shall We Dream?
Artist: Gondwana Voices, Mark O'Leary
Composer: Michael Atherton
Album: Dreamings
Label: ABC Classic
Title: The Last Time
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Composer: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Album: Out Of Our Heads
Label: Decca
Title: Tedesca Dita la Proficia
Artist: The Renaissance Players (mandolin & harpsicord duet with Michael Atherton and Winsome Evans)
Composer: Marco Facoli
Album: The Cat's Fiddlestick
Label: Cherry Pie
Title: Shen (Eternity) Instrumental (Rewap, Riq, Gaval)
Artist: Michael Atherton
Composer: Michael Atherton
Album: Ankh: The Sound of Ancient Egypt
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Title: Mongolian
Artist: Sirocco
Composer: Andrew De Teliga, Bill O'Toole, Guy Madigan and Michael Atherton
Album: A Celtic Breeze In The Antipodes
Label: Jarra Hill Records
Title: 32 22
Artist: Southern Crossings
Composer: John Napier
Album: Track
Label: Spiral Scratch
Title: Let's Jam
Artist: Michael Atherton, John Napier
Composer: Michael Atherton
Album: Australian Made… Australian Played…
Label: Sounds Australian
Title: Mind Loaded
Artist: Blood Orange, Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Mustafa
Composer: Devonté Hynes, Caroline Polachek, Mustafa Ahmed, Ella Yelich-O'Connor
Album: Essex Honey
Label: RCA Records
Title: War Pigs
Artist: Black Sabbath
Composer: Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward
Album: Paranoid
Label: Vertigo
The Music Show was made this week on Gadigal Land.
