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Song

Author
Diamond, Dick
Title
Selections from Reedy river - Cover Image
Imprint
Diaphon, 1955
Description

Long-playing vinyl sound recording, cover art and notes.

Abstract

Reedy River is a musical play set in the period after the 1890s shearers' strike. It was written by Dick Diamond and performed by the Melbourne New Theatre in 1953, featuring the band the Bushwhackers and Chris Kempster (1933-2004) who had set Henry Lawson's poem 'Reedy River' (1896) to music in 1949 . It was directed by Marie Armstrong.

"Kempster was a committed socialist and keen member of the Eureka Youth League. He sang Reedy River to a League camp and in 1951 it travelled to the World Youth Forum in Berlin. The following year it was featured at the Youth Carnival for Peace and Fellowship in Sydney. In 1953 it became the title song for the New Theatre's ground-breaking musical play, Reedy River. The play broke all records for an Australian musical and has since been revived many times. The song itself is now an Australian classic."
Obituary by Keith McKenry (First published in The Australian, February 2004). See Australain Folk Songs.

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