Repeat performances at 7am and 8:30am daily on 1 – 4 May. Photo: Cam Campbell.
In the early morning, when the wind drops, when the waters of Lake Burley Griffin that now submerge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri plain are still, we head out on the water in a small flotilla to listen.
Five Short Blasts – the name of the signal known instantly to mariners as an expression of uncertainty or alarm – has surfaced the sounds and stories of oceans, ports and rivers through major festivals in Melbourne, Hamburg, Perth and Prague.
As a centerpiece of the 2025 Canberra International Music Festival in the 60th anniversary year of Lake Burley Griffin, Five Short Blasts combines live performance, new composition and simulcast radio in an intimate one-hour experience on electric boats.
Surprise encounters echo across the lake in a waterborne orchestration of space, music and human spirit.
Marked by the enduring reality of the original cultures of this place, and by the continual and dynamic change and negotiation that occurs within, across and beyond these captured waters, Five Short Blasts is made as a multi-faceted encounter with this age-old place, and the people whose lives unfold around its constructed waters.
Created by Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey with local water and sound communities, including soloists on National Carillon, local bagpipers, ANU SoM composition faculty, Alex Raupach (trumpet).
This event takes place outdoors, on small, uncovered boats on Lake Burley Griffin. Please come dressed appropriately for the weather.
Patrons are required to have good levels of mobility.
The Details
What: Five Short Blasts – Canberra International Music Festival
When: Saturday 3 May, from 7am
Where: Lake Burley Griffin, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600, Australia
Cost: General Admission $60.00, Concession $55.00. Tickets available via Canberra International Music Festival.
