Description
John Campbell Munro was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1947 and emigrated to Adelaide, Australia in 1965.
He has been a leading figure in Australian folk music for 40 years and has worked with the likes of Eric Bogle, Colcannon, Country Express, Gordon McIntyre and Kate Delaney and Denis and Lynne Tracy.
In 1990 John wrote a series of 12 songs depicting the events leading up to and culminating in the battle at the Eureka Stockade.
The Eureka Suite has been performed all over Australia including at the site of the stockade itself. In 1992 he composed a similar set of musical pieces on the life of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly.
This piece has also proved popular in Australia and New Zealand.
John passed away on Thursday 10 May 2018.
CD review by Graham Blackley
Highly respected musician John Munro, who passed away in 2018, played an important role in the Australian folk music scene after moving here from Scotland in the mid-1960’s.
It was a pleasure to see Munro and Eric Bogle performing together years ago at the Port Fairy Folk Festival as their deep rapport and intuitive connection was apparent throughout a robust set.
On The Eureka Suite, which Munro composed and produced, he is joined by the always-inspiring Bogle and a host of other luminaries such as John Schumann.
This excellent collection can be enjoyed as a window into a pivotal historical and cultural event, The Eureka Stockade, and as a glimpse into the republican cause or you can simply sit back and relish the sheer musicality of the talented performers.
“The Yarrowee”, for instance, is a beautiful tune delivered with a light touch and tinged with a gentle melancholy.
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