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Jess Hitchcock’s music receives a classical reimagining

Joseph Guenzler Published January 31, 2025 at 2.00pm (AWST)

Jess Hitchcock has collaborated with the Penny Quartet to reimagine her music in a classical setting. (Image: Musica Viva)

Papua New Guinean and Torres Strait Islander singer-songwriter Jess Hitchcock is stepping into new territory, blending her folk and country influences with classical music in a collaboration with the Penny Quartet.

The five-city national tour, presented by Musica Viva Australia, features 11 newly commissioned arrangements of Hitchcock's songs by some of Australia's leading composers.

Ms Hitchcock said the project began when Musica Viva's artistic director Paul Kildea approached her with the idea of pairing her music with a string quartet.

"My music is sort of folk, country, pop vibes, and he wanted to know if it would work in this more classical world," she said.

"I'm up for a challenge on anything, so I said yes."

Her songs have been meticulously rearranged by 11 of Australia's finest composers.

"The composers picked what they wanted to do," she said.

"There were a couple of songs I thought they'd definitely choose, and they didn't.

"Instead, they picked these more obscure songs that are quite deep cuts on my soul... to sing them again has been a bit eye-opening, but people really respond to those stories."

Ms Hitchcock, who has worked on every new First Nations opera in the last five or six years, sees the project as an extension of her ongoing efforts to bring Indigenous storytelling into the classical music space.

"Bringing our stories into the classical music world has been something I've been working on for years," she said.

"I feel like that's the large scale, but we also need to be telling our stories on a smaller scale as well."

Working with the Penny Quartet has been a deeply collaborative process.

Ms Hitchcock said she made it clear from the beginning that the lyrics and stories behind her songs were the most important element.

"The Penny's have done an awesome job of creating something that elevates my music so new audiences—who might not go to a country music show but would come to a classical music show—can hear these stories as well," she said.

The experience has also challenged her as a performer, requiring her to adapt her vocal style to suit the new arrangements.

"I've had to change the way I sing so that it matches with the string quartet," she said.

"Where I would normally sing something more like folk-country style, I'm adding a little bit of that opera into my voice so that it blends better, that's been fun too."

Looking ahead, Ms Hitchcock will tour with Paul Kelly in August.

"He's so prolific—always writing music, even if that music doesn't see the light of day," Ms Hitchcock said of Kelly.

"That shows a certain discipline that I want to put into my practice."

Beyond his music, she praised Paul Kelly for his commitment to supporting Indigenous artists.

"He's such a true ally," she said.

"It's always a thoughtful process for him, and it's always a really authentic decision to better our future in any way he can because he has that platform and we don't."

For young artists finding their path, Hitchcock's advice is simple.

If it's "something you love, then just keep going," she said.

"Be really kind to people as you move through this industry, because not everyone's going to be kind to you."

Original songs by Jess Hitchcock in newly commissioned arrangements:

Fight for Me (2019) arr. Christine Pan

Leader of the Pack (2019) arr. Ben Robinson

Running in the Dark (2019) arr. Matt Laing

By the Sea (2019) arr. May Lyon

Together (2019) arr. James Mountain

Days Are Long (2023) arr. Iain Grandage

Soak to My Bones (2023) arr. Harry Sdraulig

On My Own (2023) arr. Holly Harrison