Warri & Yatungka was commissioned by the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus in 2002 for the Eyar of the Outback, and features in the song cycle ‘The Outback Suite’ which the choir toured with Paul through central NSW.
This piece pays tribute to Warri and Yatungka, life long partners, the last of the Mandildjara people and the last Aborigines in Australia pursuing a fully nomadic existence as their people had done since the dawn of human occupation. Inspired by ‘Last of the Nomads’ written by explorer and historian Dr W.J. Peasley, this work aims to capture in sound, the strength and perseverance of the couple, in addition to the energy of the land and the importance of strong tribal laws, which helped initiate Warri and Yatungka’s thirty year plight in the unrelenting Gibson Desert.
The couple first abandoned their tribe in the late 1940’s as their relationship was against strict tribal laws. They set off into the desert where they would spend the next three decades, unattached to the changing world. The story of Warri and Yatungka is an important episode in Australian history, but also a poignant tale of love, honour and survival.
This sample recording is from the Young Voices of Melbourne, directed by Mark O’leary