Natalie Williams' first symphony premieres to critical acclaim

On August 14, 2014, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and conductor Luke Dollman premiered Our Don, the first symphony written by Hodgson School professor Natalie Williams. The composition is a multi-media symphonic work commissioned by the State Government of South Australia as an orchestral tribute to the late cricketing great, Sir Donald Bradman, AC.

The piece met critical acclaim from international reviewers, including The Guardian:

Composer Natalie Williams’s portrait of the Test cricketer is as rewarding as the sound of leather on willow.... For most, who never had the chance to see him play live, this grand musical tribute of five movements... is a sweet and emotional reminder of why he is still idolised.... Williams has the down-to-earth, gentle strength-of-nature of the Barossan native, and it shows in her music. "

         - The Guardian, Gordon Forester 15 Aug 2014

The new symphonic tribute by Natalie Williams to cricketing legend Don Bradman is a glorious swing..."

...Williams’ orchestral score plays a predominantly filmic role, setting atmosphere and generating emotion. It’s beautifully supple, brooding and majestically soaring..."

         - The Australian, Graham Strahle, 17 August 2014

Williams’ music is beautiful, and it ranges from the lyrical and pastoral settings of the cricketer’s youth through to ...intensity and animosity ....

Don Bradman, who was something of a songwriter himself, would have been very proud to have Williams’ music commemorating his life."

         - InDaily, Greg Elliott 15 August 2014

Williams' composition is the sixth commissioned piece she has written for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The symphony features an on-stage narrator, with an archival video and photographic montage using footage from Bradman's on-field career.