Songs of the Southern Skies Vol 2

Katie and Karin have an intuitive musical connection. Their collaborations to date have earned them widespread praise and their latest co-creation, Songs of the Southern Skies Volume 2 once again promises to enchant national audiences.

Together they return to their acclaimed Southern Skies catalogue reinterpreting some of their favourite songs by antipodean artists-this time focusing on some of our finest female artists. Performing a varied program with reimagined arrangements of songs by artists such as Aunty Ruby Hunter, Missy Higgins, Sia, Kate Ceberano, Sarah Blasko and more as well as revisiting some favourites from the first Southern Skies instalment.

Guitarist Karin Schaupp is an internationally sought-after recitalist and soloist. They combine forces to create a unique sound, and a spellbinding performance.

The album “Songs of The Southern Skies Volume 2” is 12 tracks, paying homage to this wonderful genre and showcasing two of Australia’s most accomplished talents at their finest.

“Katie Noonan has a voice like warm honey being decanted into melting snow. It is such a thing of beauty that finding a vessel to hold it can be difficult. Happily, in the music of acclaimed German-born classical guitarist Karin Schaupp, Noonan has found the perfect companion” - THE AUSTRALIAN

Songs of the Southern Skies

Classical guitarist Karin Schaupp and Katie recorded their first full length album together in 2012 – Songs of the Southern Skies. The album explores music close to home and very close to their hearts, featuring some of Australia and New Zealand’s best classical, folk, jazz and pop songs – from the Finn Brothers, Cold Chisel, Nick Cave, Icehouse, Bic Runga, Gurrumul, Vince Jones and Gotye, through to traditional folk songs, a piece by Richard Charlton and a World Premiere composition by Elena Kats-Chernin – written especially for the album!

They recorded the album in Brisbane, with special guest collaborations being added around the country. Special guests on the recording include Iva Davies, Gurrumul, Maori diva Whirimako Black, Sydney Symphony oboist Diana Doherty, Clare Bowditch, young members of Brisbane’s Voices of Birralee and The Living End’s Chris Cheney. Each one has stepped outside their usual musical territory to collaborate on this unique project.

‘Katie and I had a HUGE shortlist and it’s been very hard to whittle it down to just one programme! We really are spoilt for choice in our own musical backyard’ explains Schaupp. ‘We have spent most of our professional lives in very different musical worlds, but we also share a lot of common ground, an unspoken intuitive understanding of the substance of the music, regardless of its style. Our collaboration allows us both to expand our musical worlds, but it also means we put a new spin on this music, while remaining respectful of its origin’ Schaupp says.

Katie explains ‘this project brings together my two main musical loves – classical and pop music. As an artist I love blurring the boundaries of genre and hearing musical worlds collide. This project is a wonderful opportunity for Karin and I to do exactly that!  Karin is a wonderful, virtuosic and sensitive player and combined with our fantastic arrangers and some of Australia’s leading composers, it is really great to hear these songs we know and love come to life in a new and exciting way!’

The album was nominated for 2 ARIA awards in 2012 and has seen 2 national tours.

‘I believe it’s the huge dose of heart which is key to moving this album from ‘just a compilation’ to something else entirely – perhaps I even dare say slightly spiritual. Noonan and Schaupp are masters of their craft; together they create magic’ – Arts Hub

‘This pairing of two like-minded musicians is fortunately a union made in recording heaven on this collaboration…These songs were obviously chosen for their intimacy and melodic depth, as there isn’t one weak moment on the album’ – themusic.com.au

Songs from the British Isles

In Mid 2011, Katie shared the stage with master classical guitarist Karin Schaupp in 20 sold out shows across Australia. Katie enjoyed touring with a fellow working musician mum and exploring the great composers of the British Isles in such an intimate setting. 

You can purchase all of Katie and Karin's albums from her store