The author wishes to advise that this story contains the name of an individual who has passed away.
Karen Knowles is bringing a specially curated show ‘Honour’ to the Ian Potter Recital Hall at the Theatre Royal to celebrate the eve of International Women’s Day.
I recently spoke to Knowles in advance of her special concert, and she tells me she has not performed at the Theatre Royal before, but has added Tasmania to her itinerary in thanks for the early support shown to her from Perth, Melbourne and Tasmania.
On her visit to Tassie Karen will spend some time at Bruny Island where she will also lead an International Women’s Day event.
Knowles says she has carefully scheduled her appearances to align with International Women’s Day and they contain “songs of resilience, compassion, feelings and female qualities” that represent “the opposite of the disruption that currently is in the world”. In the hope that there will be achieved “some balance and the hopes of a better future.”
And this is where music comes in, Knowles has always loved singing since she was a young girl and believes in “it’s powers to heal and achieve positive change.”
Knowles takes me back to the time she was that young girl in the supermarket singing ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and gaining the attention of a shopper due “to the big voice coming from such a little child.” That big voice of became the big voice of Young Talent Time and the natural thing in Knowles life that has blessed her through all the years and continues to do so.
This “magic carpet ride” has also made her want to share her love of music and transfer meaning to others. ‘Song’, Karen explains, “Is different to each person as it is to different times in a person’s life and in different contexts. It is an open-ended story with differing relevance, changing over time. as well as having a healing element.” “Song connects” and sometimes people surprise Karen with this connection, it might be their love of a particular song. She cites the example of the song ‘Shipwreck’ from her album ‘On Solid Ground’. Even though the song has no words, it, to Knowles amazement has reached something in people in a way she had not foreseen.
Knowles, going forward. wants to create a future legacy where music and its artists are maintained, “Doing what they are good at in a world where Spotify, not albums rule” and Knowles wants artists to be valued properly so that “talented artists do not leave the industry.” She notes the case in Europe, where music events are made more accessible to the public through ticket price subsidies.
We talk about what Knowles calls the third phase of her career beginning in London in 1985, when she was a part of ‘The Seekers.’ Even though she was away from Australia she meditated on Australia’s history and began her work with Indigenous elders, a connection that has held fast for over twenty years. This connection has involved Knowles in the reconciliation process, notably with Uncle Rob Randall. Through workshops she has developed a growing awareness of connection to country which has been a blessing that has manifested in her creativity as she has become open to “joyous singing”, her voice a channel and saying what needed to be said, with the generosity of Uncle Bob, who had a love of all creation and was himself a member of the stolen generation.
You can see Karen Knowles perform ‘Honour’ at the Ian Potter Recital Hall, the Theatre Royal, on Saturday, 7 March, at 7:30pm.
