Inspired by the heart-warming story of the Night Parrot, an elusive bird long-thought to be extinct in Australia, the Queensland Music Festival (QMF) collaborated with Bush Heritage Australia to bring a conservation theme to life through music. The Night Parrot had its world premiere in Winton in outback Queensland, where the species was rediscovered in 2013, following sightings as well as hearings of its melodic and distinctive call. Bush Heritage subsequently purchased the spinifex land where the bird was sighted and established the 56,000-hectare Pullen Pullen Reserve, where they now monitor the bird’s progress. The story of this shy flightless parrot, mostly a ground dweller and therefore prey to all manner of feral creatures, captured the imagination of Artistic Director Katie Noonan who decided to explore in music and song the plight of this endangered Queensland species.

Night ParrotThe Acacia Quartet and Morgan England-Jones perform Jessica Wells’ The Night Parrot. Photo: supplied

Jessica Wells was commissioned to compose The Night Parrot for the Acacia String Quartet and voice. Clearly, she had a passion for the subject matter and for the most part the composition worked well, suiting the theme with...