Electric Fields with Queensland Symphony Orchestra

In a night that pulsed with power and poetry, Electric Fields joined forces with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vanessa Scammell for a truly extraordinary performance at QPAC’s Concert Hall. As part of ‘Clancestry’ (QPAC’s celebration of First Nations culture) this genre-bending collaboration wasn’t just a concert; it was an invocation, a celebration, a spiritual electro-symphonic dance party.

Electric Fields is made up of Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross. The duo is best known for blending First Nations language with soulful electronica. When you add the full might of the QSO behind them, producing sensitive, artful orchestral arrangements by composer Alex Turley, their music takes on new dimensions: swelling with cinematic majesty, shimmering with heartfelt complexity, and vibrating with ancestral memory.

From the opening notes of Prelude, it was clear that this wasn’t your average night at the orchestra. Zaachariaha's vocals erupted like thunder rolling across red desert sands; deep, powerful, and astonishing in their range. At times the captivating vocalist seemed to channel something otherworldly, dancing barefoot with the elegance of a flame, and commanding the stage with a presence that was both fierce and deeply generous. Michael, meanwhile, was the joyful alchemist behind the keys, beaming with the delight of someone who knows they’re part of something momentous. The chemistry between the two was undeniable. This is a duo in perfect harmony with each other and their ever-expanding musical universe.

I have one word for the orchestra: SUPERB (capital letters intended). Under Scammell’s laser-focused baton, the QSO were masterful shapeshifters, moving effortlessly from blasts of disco-funk brass to sweeping strings, from trembling percussive undercurrents to evocative woodwind whirls, and gleaming harp glissandos. The musicians clearly relished the opportunity to dive into this lush, layered soundscape. I could tell the orchestra also enjoyed seeing the usually reserved Concert Hall transformed into a pulsing sea of energy, with a delightfully rowdy audience hooting and hollering their appreciation.

Highlights? There were many. Lore Woman was a haunting beauty, with strings that shimmered like heat haze, ethereal vocal harmonies, and timpani that rumbled like distant thunder. Glorious lived up to its name, beginning with delicate glockenspiel and breathy vocals before building into a heart-wrenching crescendo that left the audience visibly moved. In Dali, the crowd got to join in, clapping and singing along in a moment of joyous communion, and 2000 and Whatever showcased Zaachariaha’s astonishing vocal agility, supported by Michael’s smooth-as-silk vocal counterpoint.

But perhaps the most unforgettable moment came with From Little Things Big Things Grow. The stage filled with reverence for the track which included a recording of Vincent Lingiari and featured Kristal West (granddaughter of Eddie Mabo) joining the performers in song. It was a moment of truth-telling and tenderness, and the standing ovation that followed wasn’t just for the music, it was for the movement, for an important moment in history, and for healing.

Throughout the night, we were treated to rich Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara language, woven seamlessly with English lyrics, carried on the wings of anywhere from solo to eight-part vocals that brought goosebumps more than once. Tracks like Pukulpa and Antara Maau Kutjpa showcased the fusion of electronic textures with traditional sounds and symphonic splendour, an alchemy that somehow felt both ancient and futuristic.

The entire experience with Electric Fields was entirely uplifting, and just when you thought it couldn’t get more joyful, Don't You Worry capped the night off with its infectious disco-funk groove, leaving the crowd smiling, swaying, and utterly spoiled.

This concert wasn’t just a meeting of musical minds. It was a merging of worlds. Of the sacred and the synthetic. Of roots and rhythms. Electric Fields and the QSO didn’t just perform, together they conjured something elemental.

If Electric Fields with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra ever returns, don’t hesitate – see it, feel it, and experience the kind of transcendent, full-body connection that reminds you just how powerful music can be when it’s allowed to dance freely across genres, cultures, and centuries.

Kitty Goodall

Photography by Red Handed Productions