The Queensland Music Festival Mount Isa Blast is a less than a month away and that means busy times for the likes of David Burton.
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The Brisbane-based Burton is spending a lot of time in Stack City at the moment as he is the writer and the director of the Blast which takes off over three days at Buchanan Park from July 25-27.
Mr Burton, who is part of the QMF core creative team, is one of the key players responsible for putting the event together.
"I've been coming to Mount Isa once a month for over a year," Mr Burton said.
"Initially it was to talk to people and do a lot of research about what is Mount Isa talking about now, what are the issues and concerns, what are the things people think are really special and worth celebrating, and what talents are here and how can we showcase them."
Armed with this information Mr Burton came up with the concept of the Mount Isa Blast, which is a monumental production. "There's a lot of moving parts, well over 250 participants on stage, and that involves an orchestra of 40, a choir, a recorder ensemble, as well as aerial gymnasts, motorbike riders, bobcat drivers, there's even cattle," he said.
"It's coming together really well. The orchestra is rehearsing and we are in a lot of production and technical discussion on how it can look and sound the best it can."
Mr Burton said the music would revisit some of the QMF festivals past in Mount Isa.
"Music was written for a lot of these shows and hasn't been played again, some for almost 20 years," he said.
"So we are doing songs from the bobcat shows, we are doing an extract of Symphony of the Inland Sea, a classic symphony written for Isa, and the Mount Isa song written for its 90th birthday."
Mr Burton praised a core group of hard-working locals in the production.
"I really can't wait for audiences to see what they've come up with," he said.
Mount Isa's own William Barton, who is one of the world's great didgeridoo players, will also be playing at the Blast.
Tickets for 2019's Mount Isa Blast are free however those wishing to attend must register at the QMF website.
READ ALSO: Robbie Katter in Mount Isa fight night
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
