BMEC is seeking local backyards to hold intimate concerts as part of the new festival, The Inland Sea of Sound . It needn't be a grand backyard we just really want to get the festival out in to the Bathurst community. If residents would like us to hold one of the concerts in their backyard we request that they complete the Expression of Interest form and return it to BMEC by March 23rd. Please help us to spread the word that two backyards are needed.

The concerts will take place on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 April from 6pm - 8pm. Patrons will be able to bring a picnic supper and enjoy and absolutely sublime line up of music from around the world. The concerts will feature the following artists:

Monday 12 April

Fat Wombat
Cate McCarthy & Mick Moffitt - based in Yetholme Fat Wombat is country bluegrass duo with great credentials. Cate has the voice of an angel and Mick is a a very experienced Bluegrass mandolin and fiddle player who has played with the who's who of Bluegrass in Australia and overseas.

Sadhana Oz
Paolo Sorli plays guitars, bass, sitar, sarode, Electric sitar* (tundar and octar) and electric sarode* (sarel). *instruments created by Paolo. Keith Manning plays tabla, pakhawaj, bamboo flutes, esraj, tanpura, all sorts of percussion, drum kit, concert flute etc.

Tichawona Noble Mashawa, Moussa Diakite & Velvet Pesu
Tichawona Noble Mashawa is one of the most imaginative and captivating musicians emerging from Africa today, he embraces the
deepest traditions of Zimbabwean Mbira music and the intense dance groove of the African Metropolis. Previous tours include Germany, South Africa,Ethiopia, Egypt, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivory, Cameroon, Botswana and Australia.

Combining African soul, Latin passion and the sophistication of jazz, master guitarist and vocalist Moussa Diakite performs music inspired by the rich musical traditions of West Africa. Originally from Mali, Moussa moved to the Ivory Coast in the early 1970's. After returning to Mali in the early 1990's Moussa was recruited by the singer Salif Keita (known as the Golden Voice of Africa). Following three Successful world tours as Keita's featured guitarist, Moussa fell in love and decided to settle in Sydney.

Velvet Pesu is one of Australias most respected performance artists, possessing an incredibly soulful voice and rhythmic sense.

Tuesday 13 April

Fretworx
Five of Bathurst's up and coming young guitarists performing the music of Japanese composer Isato Nakagawa, French composer Yann Tiersen and Australian composer Aaron Hopper

Sumharmonic
Aaron Hopper(guitar), Rob Shannon (tabla) & Dale Tuckey(wind instruments). Three locals with a wealth of international experience. Their original music is steeped in the influences of Indian classical music, jazz & folk. It ranges from high energy spontaneous improvisation to sublime, jazz tinged classical compositions.

Skorba
Skorba is a musical collaboration between John Robinson(Oud, Tamboura, Guitar), Bertie McMahon (bouzouki, waldzither, acoustic bass) and Andy Busuttil(percussion, vocals,whistles, clarinet, ney, zurna) and various guests including Paul Jarman performing original music sung in Maltese with a theme of cultural unification and Llew Kiek of Mara on guitars, bouzouki and baglama. The band Skorba was formed close to two years ago with a single purpose in mind, to represent in a fresh and unique way the cultural history of the Maltese Archipelago through songs written in Maltese.

A Mediterranean mozaic influenced by traditional Maltese, ancient and modern Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Sephardic(Spanish), traditional musics, with western popular music sensibilities.