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‘The Australian Cities Suite’ is an album for all Australians, composed and sung by one of our nations national treasures, Judith Durham.

 Melodious and rhythmic, emotional and fun! Throughout this stunning body of work Judith’s golden voice joins forces with the magnificent Orchestra Victoria under the baton of conductor and arranger Kevin Hocking.  Recorded at Melbourne’s ABC Iwaki Auditorium, the music reverberates with a beauty and magic that is timeless and innocent, and the songs will live in our hearts to always reinforce the love each one of us feels for our own home town.  Childhood memories and the heartaches and loves we cherish will be evoked whenever we listen to this beautiful ‘Suite’ in years to come.

It is a treasured musical memento to take away with you if ever you leave Australia’s shores, a reminder of the big beautiful country ‘down under’ that makes you feel so welcome.

It all started back in 1972 when Judith and her late husband, pianist Ron Edgeworth, drove from San Francisco to Boston.  With a large map on her knee Judith was struck by how many cities in America had become famous globally through songs like New York, New York … California, Here I Come … I Left My Heart In San Francisco … Chicago … Oklahoma … Massachusetts … Galveston … Georgia On My Mind … compared with so few in Australia.

Right then and there, Judith decided to write a little song for her own hometown Melbourne, Seldom Melbourne Leaves My Mind … “seldom” being the only word she could think of that (almost) rhymed with Melbourne! 

Judith rose to the challenge and the rest of the ‘Suite’ took shape –  with Sydney, Girl Of My Dreams … Meet Me In The Mall In Brisbane … Happy Years I Spent In Hobart … Darwin Is Da Winner … Adelaide You’re Beautiful … When Perth Is On The East Side … a playful look at the national capital Australia’s Canberra … Our Town came from Judith’s musical Gotta Be Rainbows to represent communities and townships in every corner of the nation … Judith’s lyric’s for contemporary Australia Judith Durham’s Advance Australia Fair … and, the icing on the cake, her love song for the nation Australia Land Of Today.

In 2006, Judith Durham, Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley were presented with the ‘Key To The City’ of Melbourne in recognition of being Australia’s first-ever international chart-topping group The Seekers. Judith sang her song about her beloved hometown during her acceptance speech.

The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation approached Judith to enquire whether she would be prepared to record her whole ‘Suite’ as a fundraiser for the hundreds of charities supported by LMCF, including the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Orchestra Victoria.

Judith relished being surrounded by the Orchestra in the studio. “I didn’t want to go home,” she said.  “It is a dream come true, an unforgettable emotional experience that I will cherish always.  What a privilege to be surrounded by so many creative and talented people who all shared my passion for the music and have brought it to life.”

Being named Australian Of The Year 1967 jointly with The Seekers, and awarded the Centenary Medal and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to music as an entertainer and composer, Judith embraced her mission of creating the ‘Suite’ as a means of giving something back to the country that has taken her to its heart.

You only pay delivery once for your whole order, not for each item.

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- We use Australian Air Express for Australian deliveries.
- We use Fedex for International deliveries.