nyilamum – song cycles is a concert program that intertwines ancient stories and a celebration of language with contemporary reflections on land, identity, and resilience featuring music from Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung Dr Lou Bennett AM and Paul Stanhope.

Two works by Dr Lou Bennett open this concert with an exploration of the deep connections between people, music and the land. baiyan woka, which translates from Yorta Yorta language as “singing for country/land”, is birthed from the understanding that we are all connected. jaara nyilamum is a sacred story of life, loss, and rematriation after 99 years of separation from Country.

Paul Stanhope’s String Quartet No.3, From the Kimberley, reflects the dramatic landscapes and complex histories of the Kimberley region inspired by the story of Jandamarra—a Bunuba man and tracker— and explores themes of pursuit, lament, and hope for the continuity of life and culture amongst conflict.

This program culminates with the Australian Premiere of nyilamum – song sycles, a collaborative First Nations-led work by Dr Bennett and Stanhope. Receiving its World Premiere at the 2024 String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, it now makes its highly-anticipated debut at the Adelaide Festival. Here the Quartet becomes the voice of Country, guiding nyilamum home to her final resting place among the treetops. Experience this significant new work for the first time in Australia.