Music, poetry and stars align in “Custodians of the Sky”
Woollahra will be bathed in celestial splendour this November when Emanuel Synagogue hosts the Australian premiere of “Custodians of the Sky”, a landmark contemporary work by Australian composer Luke Styles.
This multidisciplinary production fuses music, poetry, animation, and sound design in a meditation on humanity’s shared connection to the night sky.
Presented over two nights on Wednesday 5 November and Thursday 6 November, the performance marks the first major initiative of the newly launched Emanuel Synagogue Foundation.
It brings together leading international and Australian artists in a celebration of artistic excellence and cultural dialogue. Originally commissioned by French ensemble Le Balcon, Australian tenor Michael Smallwood, Veronica and Don Aldridge, and donors via the Australian Cultural Fund, “Custodians of the Sky” premiered to sold-out audiences at Paris’s Musée du Quai Branly in 2023. Now, the work comes home to Australia’s largest Jewish congregation, connecting European innovation with Australian storytelling.
Custodians of the Sky in concert (supplied)
Styles’ moving score interweaves the writings of Indigenous astronomer and artist Yidumduma Bill Harney of the Wardaman people, whose descriptions of the night sky form the work’s foundation.
Harney’s texts are framed by the writings of Hugh Cairns from “Dark Sparklers” and complemented by poetry from some of Australia’s most celebrated voices, including David Malouf (“Stars”), Margaret Bradstock (“The Moon via Telescope”), A. Frances Johnson (“Moon”), and Renée Pettitt-Schipp (“Perspective Passes Over Us”).
Luke Styles said, “The work focuses on astronomy from a uniquely Australian perspective: the constellations as Australians can see them, incorporating recordings from Australian stargazing sites.”
Parisian sound designer Rémi le Thaillandier has created an immersive, three-dimensional soundscape layered with those recordings, including the natural bush sounds that seem to come from all parts of the theatre. Colombian-born artist Nieto brings the visual dimension to life with animated projections that interpret the beauty and magnitude of the Australian sky from an outsider’s perspective.
Australian tenor Michael Smallwood, who has performed in many of Europe’s leading opera houses and now lives in Berlin, returns home to star alongside Opera Australia’s bass-baritone Adrian Tamburini. The work will be conducted by renowned French composer and conductor Alphonse Cemin, who will lead a 14-piece chamber orchestra from Sydney’s acclaimed Ensemble Offspring, known for its adventurous approach to new music.
For Emanuel Synagogue, the production holds particular resonance. Senior Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins OAM explains, “Honouring the Jewish tradition of contemplating our place in creation, ‘Custodians of the Sky’ invites reflection on the land and the stars, and reminds us of Genesis 1: ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night.’ This marquee event offers a beautiful artistic interpretation of our cherished Jewish spiritual texts and tradition.”
Grant McCorquodale, President of Emanuel Synagogue and Chair of the Emanuel Synagogue Foundation, said, “As part of living and celebrating our deep and rich culture, the Foundation is committed to hosting world-class cultural works for our engaged congregation, and ‘Custodians of the Sky’ is the latest such offering. The Millie Phillips Sanctuary will be transformed by this groundbreaking multidisciplinary performance, opening our doors to the wider community to share the unique Emanuel experience, a vital initiative joining together to celebrate Jewish and non-Jewish culture through this exceptional artistic expression.”
Styles describes “Custodians of the Sky” as “an epic journey into space and the night sky, exploring its connection and uniting force for all of humanity, observed from the vantage point and through the lens of what we in Australia can see above us.”
The second half of the evening will feature songs by German-born Jewish composer Kurt Weill, performed by Smallwood and Cemin. These songs, exploring themes of identity, exile, and belonging, extend the programme’s reflection on humanity’s search for meaning under the night sky. Together, the two halves create a powerful artistic dialogue between the earthly and the celestial, the ancient and the modern.
