The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has announced a tribute to the late, great Archie Roach. One Song: The Music of Archie Roach will take place during NAIDOC Week this July, with performances from Dan Sultan, Emma Donovan, digeridoo player and composer William Barton, soul singer Kee’ahn, and many more.
The artists will perform songs from across Roach’s acclaimed career, including ‘Took The Children Away’, ‘Weeping in the Forest’, ‘One Song’, and more, all backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The Dhungala Children’s Choir will also take part, conducted by the renowned soprano Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO.
Archie Roach: ‘Took The Children Away’
The event will take place over two nights – Wednesday, 5th July, and Thursday, 6th July – at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. See all the dates and ticketing details below.
Roach, a Gunditjmara (Kirrae Whurrong/Djab Wurrung) man and Bundjalung Senior Elder, died at the end of July 2022, aged 66. “Archie passed, surrounded by his family and loved ones, at Warrnambool Base Hospital after a long illness,” Roach’s sons wrote in a statement announcing his death. “We thank all the staff who have cared for Archie over the past month.”
Roach released 10 albums across his acclaimed career – the last, The Songs Of Charcoal Lane, was released in 2020, the same year he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
One Song: The Music of Archie Roach
- Dan Sultan
- Emma Donovan
- William Barton
- Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO
- Jess Hitchcock
- Radical Son
- Sally Dastey
- Kee’ahn
- Tamala Shelton
- Dhungala Children’s Choir
- Music Director Paul Grabowsky AO
- Stage Director Rachael Maza AM
- Conductor Jaime Martín
Dates & Venues
- Wednesday, 5th July – Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
- Thursday, 6th July – Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
Tickets are on sale now via the MSO website.
Further Reading
Daniel Andrews Apologises For ‘Extreme, Inhumane Acts Committed’ Against Archie Roach
Musicians and Public Figures Respond to the Death of Archie Roach
Archie Roach Posthumously Awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia
