This year was the fifteenth Homphonic! concert at Midsumma. I have missed a couple of them, but it remains my favourite gig every year.
Homophonic! celebrates and creates community and joy. Classical and contemporary and/or experimental classical music has been a world where queer identity has often been hidden.
It’s better now, but there are so many composers, musicians and performers who hid parts of themselves to succeed, be recognised or have a job. These stories need to be shared and loved and brought into our lives without even a hint of the shame that may have kept them hidden.
This year opened with the exquisite voices of The Consort of Melbourne singing Closets are for clothes (by Sally Whitwell), closed with an unforgettable classical-cum-80’s-dance-club version of Queen’s Don’t stop me now (arranged by Kym Dillion) and included premieres of new works and revisiting baroque and twentieth century minimalism compositions.
Miranda Hill is a classical double bass player and created Homophonic! because hiding, repressing and ignoring LGBTIQ+ people is not an option. Hill introduces every piece with the story of the composer or the composition.
While musical brilliance can be part of it – and, holy moly, the idea that new compositions like these might only be heard by a few hundred people is heart breaking – these are stories are about people, some whose stories may have been forgotten or never told.
This annual event, which often also tours to regional Victoria, continues to grow with new compositions and arrangements, including the now-annual Midsumma Presents: The Homophonic! Pride Prize. This is awarded to a composer each year and premiered at the concert.
The RESPECT project has also grown into a powerful composition project that I want to tour the world and be recreated everywhere. Composers are set up with senior members of the queer community and they write a piece of music telling their match’s story.
For some people, this could be first time their story has been told in public. To be in the room when someone hears and sees their story being celebrated (even the heartbreaking bits) is an experience that is hard to describe: it’s like getting a glimpse into someone’s soul and there are always tears.
Homophonic! is a rare opportunity to hear new and experimental classical music and will almost guarantee that you want to hear more or it. It’s also a reminder that art is political; every note has been written because it has meaning and because stories need to be told and be heard.
Hill ended the night reminding us that Pride is protest and that Party is protest. We’re seeing rights and safety being taken away from queer people all over world, so we have to stand, speak, sing, write, play, dance and party until we don’t need to – and imagine how damn good those parties will be! Hill also reminded us that being better looking than the haters is always a win – and we are always better looking than they are.
Homophonic!
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Performance: Saturday 8 February 2025
Information: www.midsumma.org.au
Image: Homophonic! – photo by Darren Gill
Review: Anne-Marie Peard