As a teenager, Sculthorpe discovered a book of verse, called Earth Cry, by a Tasmanian poet, Norma Davis. Davis’s title poem written in 1943, while Australia was at war, was a heart-felt reflection on “horrors that would turn our sunshine dark,” yet drew solace from the “unconquered land.” Forty years later, coming to write his own Earth Cry in 1986, Sculthorpe felt that Australians seemed to be disrespecting the land, to the detriment of all its inhabitants, Indigenous and settlers alike. The orchestra piece was transformed into String Quartet no. 12 in 1994. 

Born in Launceston, Tasmania in 1929, Peter Sculthorpe was one of Australia’s most celebrated composers. Sculthorpe’s music reflected the deep love he had for his country and its landscape, which he regarded as sacred. One of the most constant themes in his work was the protection of Australia’s environment, as well as that of the whole planet. Educated at the University of Melbourne, and Wadham College, Oxford, he was a beloved Emeritus Professor at the University of Sydney, where he began teaching in 1964. An Officer of both the Order of Australia and of the British Empire, in 1998 he was elected a National Trust of Australia National Living Treasure. In 2002, he was elected to Foreign Honorary Membership of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.