Australian classical greats join Nick Cave tribute to Sydney’s cultural cathedral.

“Come sail your ships around me,” sang Aussie rock poet Nick Cave in his ballad The Ship Song (1990). Someone on staff at the Sydney Opera House mustn’t have been able to get it out of their head, because it became the seed of a yearlong project inviting Australian and international musicians to record a group cover version in situ.

Over 12 months, artists and companies performing at the Opera House were asked to take part in a music video showcasing the new, collaborative Ship Song, directed by Paul Goldman and arranged by Elliott Wheeler.

The stellar cast draws together performers from all creative walks of life: Richard Tognetti and the ACO, Teddy Tahu Rhodes with Opera Australia, the Sydney Symphony, the Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and John Bell and his Bell Shakespeare Company rub shoulders with pop, rock and folk icons Neil Finn, Paul Kelly and Katie Noonan, among others.

The five-minute music video released this week features the artists filmed performing the song in every nook and cranny of the Opera House. The entire process has been chronicled in a backstage documentary by Greg Appel including interviews...