ArtSound FM — May 2026 Newsletter
Your monthly behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening at Canberra’s home for arts and music radio.
As always, there’s plenty happening at ArtSound beyond what you hear on air. From new studios to a brand new YouTube channel, a medieval epic on Radio Theatre, and a very special new voice on Concert Hall — here’s your May roundup.
ArtSound’s broadcast studios are getting a serious makeover. Studio 1, our main broadcast studio, was recently commissioned following a significant upgrade made possible by generous listener contributions and volunteer effort — and the results have been outstanding. The transition from the old equipment to the new has been smooth, and the project even attracted international attention, with coverage in no fewer than 25 industry journals worldwide.
Now Studio 3 is next in line. Thanks to a grant from the Community Broadcasting Association, work has just commenced on bringing our second broadcast studio up to full digital standard. The grant covers the major equipment items — but ArtSound still needs to fund the remaining pieces to complete the job.
Here’s a concrete way you can help right now:
- Two LCD screens (one for each studio) — $599.00 each
- Two Raspberry Pi microcomputers for network cybersecurity monitoring — $150.00 each
- LAN cabling for Studio 3 — approximately $225.00 in total
No amount is too small, and all donations are tax deductible. Get in touch at admin@artsound.fm if you’d like to contribute to any of these specific items.
ArtSound FM is now on YouTube — and it’s worth a visit.
Think of the channel as a friendly extension of the station: a place to put faces to the voices you hear on air, and to revisit moments you might have missed. You’ll find intimate performances from local and visiting musicians across jazz, classical, folk, world music, blues, and more; conversations with artists, writers, filmmakers, and cultural organisers from across the capital region; and behind-the-scenes glimpses of community radio in action — from the Manuka studios to outside broadcasts at concerts and festivals.
Find us at youtube.com/@ArtSoundFM-927 and hit subscribe. The more subscribers we have, the more people discover what ArtSound is all about.
More than two years in the making, ArtSound’s radio adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight aired across three one-hour episodes in May — and it was something genuinely special.
ArtSound Radio Theatre and Poetry on the Radio joined forces to dramatise this masterpiece of medieval English literature, using a modern-language verse translation by Canberra-based Australian poet and Emeritus Professor Keith Harrison, published by Oxford World’s Classics. The story — set in the court of King Arthur — follows a young knight who beheads a mysterious Green Giant, and must then undertake a quest whose startling goal is to submit himself to the same fate.
The cast was entirely Canberra-based: Keith Harrison as narrator, Zahi Hoque as Sir Gawain, Theodore Ell as The Green Knight and Sir Bercilak de Hautdesert, Emily Shepley as Lady Bercilak, Adrian Caesar as King Arthur, Fergus Armstrong as the Guide, and Peter Searles, Shane Strange, and Peter Monaghan voicing the porter and attendants. Incidental music was provided by Apeiron Baroque (John Ma, Marie Searles, and Lauren Davis), recorded at the Wesley Music Centre.
The series was directed and produced by Keith Harrison and Peter Monaghan. If you missed it on air, watch for repeat broadcasts — and check the ArtSound Radio Theatre schedule for what’s coming next.
Long-time listeners will know that Concert Hall lost its beloved host Annabel Wheeler recently — a presenter who gave the programme everything she had for around 40 years. She is deeply missed.
Len Power has now taken over as host of Concert Hall, which airs on Sundays at 8pm and repeats on Wednesdays at 2pm. Len brings considerable credentials to the role: he has been a music and theatre reviewer for Canberra CityNews, has been with ArtSound since 2007, and has written, produced, and presented several programmes including The Gershwin Project, The Broadway Musicals Yearbook, and The Magic of Music (currently running on Saturday afternoons at 5pm). He also contributes weekly arts reviews to Arts Café and Arts About.
Sound engineer Tim Lamble continues his outstanding work recording concerts at venues across Canberra and surrounds, providing the high-quality recordings that make the programme possible. Welcome, Len — and thank you for carrying the torch.
ArtSound’s last outdoor Summer Series concert, held in the Manuka Arts Centre Gardens on Sunday 19 April, drew one of the biggest crowds in recent memory. It was a cracker of an afternoon: Transit Dolls delivered a good-humoured, tight-but-loose set, before The Rain Gauge brought a more majestic sweep to close out the season in style.
ArtSound’s concerts now move indoors for the cooler months. Listen out on air for details of upcoming events, with outdoor concerts returning to the ArtSound Gardens later in the year.
On 13 March, ArtSound was present at the Wesley Music Centre to record a remarkable evening: a performance by Vidushi Kalapini Komkali, one of India’s finest classical vocalists, accompanied by Abhishek Shinkar on Harmonium and Ramendra Singh Solanki on Tabla. The concert was organised by ArtSound member Amod Pradhan. A broadcast of the recording is coming — watch the schedule for details.
Paris-based Australian jazz vocalist Hetty Kate brought her quartet to the Tuggeranong Arts Centre as part of the Jazz Series that ArtSound proudly supports. Hetty Kate performed songs from her newest release — a sparkling tribute to spring, part of a four-album odyssey tracing the calendar year across different continents. Her stage presence is matched only by the clarity of her voice. ArtSound’s Chris Deacon will feature a recording of the performance on a forthcoming Friday Night Live programme (Fridays 8pm).
ArtSound’s annual Radiothon launches on Monday 1 June and runs through to Tuesday 30 June. This is the one time of year we ask for your direct financial support — and it’s the perfect moment, with end-of-financial-year arriving on the same day Radiothon closes.
Any donation of $2 or more is tax deductible. Every dollar keeps this station on air, independent, and free.
Visit artsound.fm to donate or become a member. Or call 02 6295 7444.
Beyond donating, there are plenty of ways to get involved at ArtSound:
- Welcoming Committee
- Communications team
- Advertising representatives
- Presenters
- Programme producers and assistants
- Music library helpers
ArtSound is an all-volunteer community radio station with annual running costs of more than $120,000 — almost half of that in transmission costs alone from Black Mountain and Mt Taylor. Every volunteer hour and every donated dollar makes a direct difference.
To get involved: email admin@artsound.fm, visit artsound.fm, or call 02 6295 7444.
Thank you for being part of ArtSound.
ArtSound FM — 30 Manuka Circle, Griffith ACT 2603 | T: 02 6295 7444 | W: artsound.fm
Newsletter contributions: admin@artsound.fm(please submit at least three days before month end)
