A thousand years before Johann Christoph Denner invented the clarinet at the start of the 18th century, First Nations people were blowing into hollow trunks or branches from eucalypt trees, imitating animal and bird calls and creating a musical narrative.

What the two instruments have in common is breath and the player’s skill in reaching and touching their listeners, and it was this commonality that was at the heart of Omega Ensemble’s launch for its 2022 season. Called Two Breaths, the concert featured artistic director David Rowden’s clarinet and William Barton’s didgeridoo and three works that both highlighted the differences between the two wind instruments and the cultures behind them, but also how they can combine and be reconciled.

After the light dimmed and the customary recorded tape was played, the tall and imposing Barton came on stage with a didgeridoo and tapping stick to give the audience a personal welcome to land.

William Barton performing Two Breaths at City Recital Hall, 10 February 2022. Image © Jordan Munns.

From the outback we were suddenly transported to Vienna by Rowden and the ensemble’s string quartet for a jewel-like performance of Mozart’s Clarinet...