Our intern Ludwig Machicki, aged 19, arrived from Germany a few weeks ago to spend two months with us. We sent him to Orange with the company for the performance of Waltzing Matilda and asked him to write his impressions of his first trip out of Sydney.
To introduce myself, I am Ludwig Machnicki, the new intern of the Song Company from Germany. I have more than likely talked to you for ticketing or general information!
The atmosphere in Orange was quite silent and peaceful, but that was exactly the thing I had searched for because I want to see as much of Australia as possible and also the smaller towns that belong to this beautiful country. That is probably the best part of my internship – to travel around with 7 unbelievably talented artists and see some really nice places around Sydney. So far, these trips just showed me that Australia is really more than just Sydney (although Sydney is a beautiful city, indeed) and it would make me really sad if I went home and could only tell people some things about Sydney, because there is so much more to discover – and the Song Company is giving me the opportunities to do exactly that.
This was not only the first performance I was able to enjoy of the Song Company – it was also the first time I got to tour with them out of Sydney. The 5 hour ride with our lovely Administration Manager Tony Breese was a fantastic experience for me because I saw what Australia looks like when you leave the city behind you: Rough, bushy and extraordinarily wide – just beautiful. Of course I should not forget all the poor dead kangaroos on the Highway which destroyed a little bit my stereotypical image of the untouched nature in Australia, where wild animals live in peace and wilderness, without cars, streets and traffic.
But let’s go back to the Song Company. Before the first performance in the Orange Civic Theatre I just sold concert tickets and CDs without having an idea what the six members of The Song Company could do with their voices (and just with their voices). So I really looked forward to seeing the concert and I suppose I was not the only one in the Theatre. The audience in Orange was just amazing, for example when the singers encouraged the public to sing ‘Tie me kangaroo down’ , everybody followed in such a passionate and excited way that I was even more impressed by the intoxicating effect of our ensemble. Before the concert I really could not imagine what kind of things were possible just by using the voice. It is awesome that six singers are able to entertain a whole crowd without using any instrument.
The Waltzing Matilda performance impressed me personally because of the wide range of different Australian songs from the past to the here and now. It gave me an idea of style and sense of Australian folk music and I really enjoyed this experience because it leads you a little bit more into the society of a special country if you can get an impression of their music.
