Video documentation.
Robbie’s Daydream. Composer: Kym Dillon. Inspired by conversations with and verbatim text from Robbie Heywood. Commissioned by Homophonic! as part of the RESPECT project. An ode to one of the best and most elusive emotions: euphoria, euphoria of gender affirmation, euphoria of flight, and the unbeatable feeling of finding your place in the world. Robbie’s Daydream is part of the RESPECT project, setting the stories of our queer elders to music and singing them out loud. Robbie Heywood is a Bendigo legend, a retired pilot, (both airforce and commercial) and still loves things that go very very fast. She still does drag racing, well into her 80’s. Robbie and composer Kym Dillon formed a strong bond during the writing of this piece. Within minutes of meeting, Robbie had declared Kym a “soul sister” and they have been close friends ever since. It was one of those moments where life paths cross over. They’re both women who have been on the transgender journey, they both hid from their dysphoria in similar immersive ways: Robbie in her plane up in the sky, and Kym in her music and this work brings those two worlds together. Robbie describes escaping into her imagination to find refuge from her dysphoria, and in this piece we are all going for a flight with Robbie, daydreaming through some of her most important life moments, and looking towards the future, including the euphoria of gender affirmation. The lyrics are all verbatim from Kym’s conversations with Robbie, and the music is quite literally the engine of Robbie’s favourite plane. The de Havilland vampire. Come on the joyride https://youtu.be/sXCDhmvPSU4?si=A2uJnQkhVR6JE_GS Performed at Homophonic!, Midsumma Festival. 2024 at La Mama theatre.
Shakey. Composer: Samuel Carrick. Performer: Miranda Hill. Winner of the Homophonic! Pride Prize 2026. Commissioned as part of the Midsumma Presents: Homophonic! Pride Prize. Inspired by the lost gay clubs of Brisbane. This work for solo double bass and tape pays homage to the joy and community found in sweaty bars late at night. https://youtu.be/1Uw6E91AFGc?si=wWvvX-QykV-Ya2VU Performed at Homophonic!. Midsumma Festival. 2026 at Theatre Works St Kilda. Full 2026 playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs3-qiiklBMd8yfOKHVo39-QDXctET4Ml&si=65BoTtLlQVyq_3BJ
Moonlite. (Excerpt) Music: Wally Gunn. Words: Maria Zajkowski. Australian Premiere. 2026 Movement 12: https://youtu.be/VLIOqUz6ugo?si=aCoq0cfaw_1pIzif (6 minutes) Moonlite writes in his death cell letters, remembering the moment that his lover and fellow bushranger James Nesbitt was shot and killed at Wanterbadgery in a shoot out with police. Performed at the Australian Premiere. Fitzroy Town Hall. July 2025. Full Moonlite playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs3-qiiklBMegiopbmIsWKOCl9W6QiGqo&si=lnsrMNjVNAj4rzu6
Selection of reviews
Homophonic! Midsumma Season:
“Homophonic! is a vivid and deeply felt celebration of queer experiences, tracing stories of resistance, memory and community while looking toward what lies ahead. Artistic Director and musician Miranda Hill also takes the role of MC, providing rich context for each of the pieces we are about to hear. Hill exudes a warmth and openness to her introductions, allowing the audience to grasp not only the compositions themselves but the meaning and purpose behind them. This elevates the performances beyond music, turning them into an experience that resonates emotionally and intellectually, and leaving a real sense of connection with the stories being told.” – My Melbourne Arts 2026. https://www.mymelbournearts.com/2026/02/homophonic-review-midsumma-festival.html
“‘Homophonic!’ felt more like a conversation between composer, musician and audience; a mutual understanding beyond what language alone can describe. It was visceral, and nothing short of an amazing experience.” – What’s the Show, 2026. https://whatstheshow.com.au/homophonic/
“A thoughtful celebration of our common human condition” -4 stars. The Age. 2026
“Homophonic! is an unmissable tradition that continues to be a refreshing antidote to some of the darker realities that currently surround us.” – Stage Whispers 2021
"What a treat this collaboration and performance again was. The musical excellence, the sheer joy and love in the room were all magic. Thank you to Miranda and the entire team for an unforgettable season. Can’t wait for the next one." https://www.theatretravels.org/post/review-homophonic-at-theatre-works 2025
"This performance insists on the idea that love is the antidote to hate, and Homophonic! delivers this in spades. Its resistance to bigotry is delivered with confidence, style, humour, and an abundance of good will." https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/homophonic-4 2025
Moonlite:
“The Australian premiere of Moonlite… allows the colours of the rainbow to illuminate the often sepia-tinted world of our colonial past.” 4 stars, The Age.
“A musically rich and evocative presentation of the true-crime story of Victoria's “amazingly gay bushrangers”.” 5 Stars. Limelight. https://limelight-arts.com.au/reviews/moonlite-homophonic-the-consort-of-melbourne/
"First Class!" https://www.classikon.com/moonlite-an-australian-true-crime-queer-love-story-in-oratorio-form-first-class/
"Moonlite dignifies life and speaks for Scott with heartfelt solemnity and shimmering spirit – a stellar work that potentially has far to roam. " - Australian Arts Review. https://artsreview.com.au/moonlite-2/
“Homophonic! and The Consort of Melbourne show, yet again, that they are a formidable visionary force that put queer stories under a spotlight, refusing to allow these often-remarkable examples of creativity and talent to recede into the background.” – Patricia Di Risio- Stage Whispers.
“Hill is an indomitable champion of LGBTQIA+ musicality creating ensembles of brilliant chamber performers that revive old and commission new compositions with eternal themes to audiences for whom LGBTQIA+ content is scarce and sometimes invisible.”
Sue Dahn – Stage Whispers. https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/moonlite
Art Music Award 2023:
Panel members found Miranda Hill's creative work and initiative both compelling and fearless, shining a light of leadership in an environment where it is not always easy to be visible and accepted. Simply creating a space for unashamed and uncoded queer stories to be told and celebrated through music-making of the highest quality is a powerful means of creating visibility and a celebration of queer people in art music. Miranda Hill's efforts make visible that which is not always seen or heard, and she is a worthy recipient of the 2023 Luminary Award for Victoria. https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/article/2023-art-music-awards-what-the-judges-said
Image gallery
