Arden Sounds - Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Audience members gather infront of artist Allara as she performs, with Arden Station, beneath the station's arches and wayfinding signage — Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates, courtesy Melbourne International Jazz Festival

The Brandee Younger Trio performing beneath the arches at Arden Station, seated and playing the harp and various musical instruments with afternoon light shining in — Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates, courtesy Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Invenio stand in pairs beneath the arches at Arden Station and facing various directions while they perform — Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates, courtesy Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Vocal group Invenio, dressed in shades of khaki, black and brown, stand in two rows outside Arden Station facing different directions while they perform — Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates, courtesy Melbourne International Jazz Festival

The Metro Tunnel Creative Program and Melbourne International Jazz Festival presented Arden Sounds as part of the 2024 program, a unique jazz experience with compositions by ensemble artists, that took place at the new Arden Station in North Melbourne.

This event - the first of its kind in one of the new stations - gave audiences an unique look, sound and experience that will never be replicated.

Audiences embarked on a fascinating journey beneath Arden Station’s iconic arches with captivating performances by artists Allara, the Brandee Younger Trio (US), and Invenio, each inspired by the new station’s distinctive architecture and acoustics, giving them an exclusive preview into the much anticipated, brand new Metro Tunnel stations ahead of its opening in 2025.

Allara, a Yorta Yorta artist and storyteller, began the evening with a double bass and loop station to produce a unique and soul-stirring sound, harnessing hard-hitting spoken word, taking listeners on a journey reflecting cultural, spiritual and environmental empowerment.

Next, the Brandee Younger Trio showcased the jazz harp. Like harpists Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby before her, Brandee Younger has made a career of showcasing the role of the harp, in contemporary music genres such as jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Brandee was accompanied by Rashaan Carter and Allan Mednard, who together produced sounds harmonising the station design.

Under the direction of award-winning composer and vocal artist Gian Slater, acclaimed vocal ensemble Invenio featured 15 of the most exciting and forward-thinking creative vocalists in the country. Their singular aesthetic and performance approach created an expansive, celestial sound world showcasing the human voice with a deep and natural emotional immediacy. The vocalists created an immersive soundscape as they slowly moved throughout Arden Station with purpose.