Russell Morris To Be Honoured With 'The Music, The Stories' 54-Piece Symphony Orchestra Concerts

The music of Russell Morris will be honoured this July with two unique, out-of-this-world The Real Thing performances performed by symphony orchestras at the Sydney Opera House and Hamer Hall in Melbourne.

Two-time Academy Award nominee David Hirschfelder (Shine, Elizabeth) arranged the score for the 54-piece orchestra and the 10-member band that will accompany Morris. 

The musicians will journey through Morris' career that started with a remake of Joe South’s Hush and then took it off like a rocket with the rich, psychedelic rock masterpiece The Real Thing that topped the charts as man landed on the moon in July 1969.

Hits like Hush, Sweet, Sweet Love and Wings Of An Eagle will be represented during these two shows, while Morris will work his way to 2012’s #1 album, the ARIA Award-winning Sharkmouth.

Russell Morris is a member of the ARIA Hall of Fame and Australian Songwriters Hall Of Fame with a career spanning more than five decades. 

He was awarded an Order Of Australia on Australia Day 2018 for “significant service to the performing arts as a musician, singer, songwriter and entertainer, and supporter of charitable organisations”.

Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy Mining Company sponsors the once-in-a-lifetime concerts. A lifelong Russell Morris fan, Palmer envisioned these concerts to help recognise Russell’s esteemed and popular contributions to Australian music.

“This is a big deal for me, the biggest of my career, and I can only thank Clive Palmer for his generosity in making it happen,” Morris said in a statement.

Palmer added, “I have followed Russell’s career from the 1960s and am just one of his many admirers who have recognised his drive, energy and passion on his inspiring musical journey.”

Tickets for these spectacular Russell Morris concerts go on sale this Friday, 21 April, via the Sydney Opera House website and Arts Centre Melbourne.

RUSSELL MORRIS - THE REAL THING CONCERTS

Sunday, 2 July - Sydney Opera House

Tuesday, 4 July - Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne