If you’ve ever been to Abbotsford in Melbourne, you’ve probably made a visit to the Abbotsford Convent. It sits in a bend of the Yarra River, next to Collingwood Children’s Farm. These days, the Abbotsford Convent plays home to resident artists of practically every kind, dancers, musicians, filmmakers… and a community classical music radio station: 3MBS.

The Abbotsford Convent was once one of the largest Catholic complexes in Australia, founded by The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1863. For more than 100 years, the convent provided shelter, food and education to thousands of girls and women, placed – and sometimes forced - into the institution’s care. One of these women was the poet Patricia Sykes. She’d lived at the convent as a young girl in the early 50s, moving into the orphanage there with her three sisters, after their mum died. Her works are the basis for the song cycle featured in this podcast. In this introduction, listen as producer Sascha Kelly talks to librettist and poet Patricia Sykes and composer Andrew Aronowicz about the genesis of their work.

The Abbotsford Mysteries Song-Cycle project and podcast are presented in partnership with the Abbotsford Convent Foundation, with support from Creative Victoria, The Australian Cultural Foundation, Kawaii Pianos and Spinifex Press. The music was recorded at 3MBS: Fine Music Melbourne, in the Lady Marigold Southey Performance Studio.

The Abbotsford Convent sits on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, by the waters of the Birrarung. We pay our respects to their Elders, and other Aboriginal Elders listening - past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Photo credit: Tangerine Creative.

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