Sharing stories that need to be told

ABOVE Lydiard Street, the Old Colonists’ Club was alive with personality, live storytelling, and music last week as vibrant creative Geoffrey D’Ombrain shared his latest projects with a local audience.

The author, composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator just turned 91 last month, and launched not one, but two new books he has recently written and published.

“Somewhere in the Middle is full of the stories I need to tell. A long time ago, I started writing down things about my ancestors and family that I thought I ought to pass on, but it became much bigger than that,” he said.

The book includes memories and extraordinary experiences from his childhood and university days, stories from Melbourne’s lively music scene, his connections and friendships with First Nations peoples, leading “progressive” music education courses, his interactions with birds, and ideas on religion, war, and politics.

“My other new book, Clear is the Water is all about my three journeys around Ireland, and bits of time in Switzerland and Germany, meeting so many people, and singing and improvising with great, famous Irish bands,” D’Ombrain said.

“The name, Clear is the Water, comes from the beautiful song, Red is the Rose.

“It’s wonderful to share the stories because so many people have been forgotten that I’ve been able to revitalise, particularly in the music scene. We’re not a very good society at remembering people, so I’ve done a lot of that.”

D’Ombrain said performing his own compositions, covers, and improvised pieces throughout his life has been “a joy.”

At the Old Colonists’ Club, he performed original works, and traditional folk tunes, singing and playing the tin whistle, harp, bass recorder, guitar, and flute along the way.

“It’s a tribute to my great-great-grandfather who was commodore of the Irish Coast Guard, and he is featured in Somewhere in the Middle,” he said.

But not only did D’Ombrain launch his latest publications and perform for attendees, he catered the evening as well, making nibbles and homemade lemonade.

He has already started his next project; a fiction book. The author’s evening was hosted by Collins Booksellers on Lydiard, the Old Colonists’ Club’s downstairs neighbours.