What was the inspiration behind Land of Dreams?

I’ve been in Australia for two-and-a-half years now, and without being evangelical about it I feel very strongly that The Choir of Trinity College should use its privileged position to help promote Australian music and culture whenever possible. I first came across Ross Edwards’ music when I was working with the Danish ensemble Ars Nova Copenhagen – we premiered his Sacred Kingfisher Psalms at the Edinburgh festival. I discovered his Mass of the Dreaming shortly after I arrived and was struck by the way in which he connects Aboriginal and Christian spirituality. I then heard the Reverend Lenore Parker’s Thanksgiving for Australia, which to my mind perfectly combines the innate spirituality of this country with the Christian tradition, and decided I had to commission a choral setting of it to sit alongside the Edwards Mass. The rest of the disc then fell into place, with a collection of texts that talk about dreaming or sleep.

Christopher Watson. Photo © Eric Richmond

Listeners may not know David Bednall, Daniel Riley or Daniel Brinsmead – three very different composers. What...