The experience of performing at Clifton School of Arts as a musician is unique: not just because of its famously good acoustics, well-suited to intimate concerts by solo instruments, but because the venue has such an active soundtrack of its own.
Performers and patrons are likely to be serenaded by the jazzy syncopations of passing trains, the clang of a safety barrier being lowered, the distant shrill whistle from a Sunday steam locomotive. It’s the sounds of the neighbourhood, the screech of parrots and black cockatoos drifting down from the escarpment, cicadas harmonising with the Harleys thumping up the hill from Sea Cliff Bridge.
There’s no point in being precious about it: the venue, with its spectacular setting, sits on an axis that defines the character of the Illawarra – that very specific collision of looming escarpment and wild coastline mixed with remnants of the area’s industrial past. The School of Arts building was erected by striking local miners in 1911.
Seasoned musicians take it all in their stride. You see them smile as they tune their instruments, waiting for the right moment to begin. The unconventional atmospherics add charm and character to performances, which helps explain why so many well-established professionals come back year after year, building a CSA date into their touring program.
With just 60 seats, concerts are exclusive by necessity, with ticket prices low to keep them affordable. This is one venue that is not struggling to lure patrons following the great Covid break.
Guitarist Sako Dermenjian finds the history of the building appealing and resonant. “Maybe because I come from an old culture myself, I think about what those walls have witnessed.”
The Armenian-born Syrian refugee – who has cut a swathe through the music scene with an exciting repertoire that draws on classical and flamenco traditions – has played several sold-out shows at CSA. “The distant sound of the ocean and the closeness of the audience make it feel like a place where music is more like a conversation, less like a performance. It’s informal and friendly, which makes it easy for me to chat about what I am going to play. I very much hope to come back later this year and bring other musicians with me.”
Others see it as a perfect place to try out new works without too much stress. When local jazz composer and bass player Lucy Clifford returned from a stint studying at a prestigious music school in the US, she assembled a cracking band for a memorable album launch at CSA that ended with a standing ovation.
“It was nothing short of incredible,” Lucy says. “It’s such an inspiring place that provided the most beautiful sonic experience not only for us but for the wonderful and supportive community that came to be immersed in local music making.” On that night even a swallow joined in, chirruping from the ceiling beams.
Cellist Anthony Albrecht, a member of the Bowerbird Collective, has been drawn back to CSA as a soloist many times. “My favourite memory is playing to a packed house. I glanced out the window just as a whale was breaching!”
That’s how it is at the CSA: nature and the neighbourhood are part of the performance.
Coming up on Thursday, June 12th, local violinist Cedar Newman – freshly returned from the US and Germany – will perform a 50-minute program, including works by Bach, Paganini, Ysaÿe and Ernst. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Book for Cedar’s Soundscapes at Humanitix
