With Judith Durham\'s Passing, The Carnival Is Truly Over (obituary)

Following the death of Judith Durham the carnival has officially ended (Obituary)

By Vishnu Makhijani New Delhi, Aug 7 : For a teen in the 1960s, the only way to listen to Western popular music was via two weekly shows on All India Radio and one was unsure what the reason was for “The Carnival is Over” was always featured on both of them week after week.

 With Judith Durham's Passing, The Carnival Is Truly Over (obituary)-TeluguStop.com

It was soon apparent that this was true because heartbreak was as vital to our lives as breathing and eating.

Still, one pondered over the lyrics, delivered with much feeling by the dulcet-voiced singer-songwriter-musician Judith Durham (one learned of her Australian identity much later), whose talents extended to the piano and the tambourine, and wondered why this had to be so:

“Say goodbye, my very own true love/As we sing the love song/How my heart breaks to leave you/Now that the carnival is over

The dawn high above is waiting/My tears are falling in rain
The carnival is over/We might never ever again

Like drums my heart beat/And your kiss was as sweet like wine
But the pleasures of affection are fleeting Pierrot and Columbine

The harbour light is on/This will be our final goodbye/Though the carnival is over, I will love you till I die.”

One was also curious as to why her band, of which she was the leader, was called The Seekers.Was it because of the search for love that is real or is this the Holy Grail – forever unattainable?

It was only later that we learned that art doesn’t imitate life, or life imitate art in regards to issues of the heart.

It’s not surprising that “The Carnival is over” became the tune of The Seekers.

At its highest, it was selling 93,000 copies per each day in the UK with sales of at minimum 1.41 million in the UK alone.It also for three weeks, it was No.number 1 in the UK Singles Chart for two months following the launch in November 1965.It’s one of the top 50 most-seller singles in the UK even to this day.

It’s a tune that is heart-rending even today , almost 60 years to go since its release and been the catalyst for closing all of the group’s live performances.

With the death of Judith Durham in Melbourne on the 5th of August of the chronic bronchiectasis chronic lung illness, at 79, a time is over, but what will linger on is the thread of longing that is present in the majority of her songs such as in “When Will The Good Apples Fall?”

Durham’s case was a rare example of an artist who was successful as part of the band, and also having more success as an individual.

It started, in fact, with The Seekers’ very first UK release with Durham”I’ll Never Meet You Again’ in February 1965.The song climbed to the number.number one spot in the UK and Australia.There were also Top 10 hits with ‘A World of Our Own’, ‘Morningtown Rider and ‘Someday One Day’.’Georgy Girl’ reached No.2 in the Billboard chart and No.1 in the Cashbox chart in the US.

Born Judith Mavis Cock on July 3 1943 in Melbourne, Durham (she adopted her mother’s maiden title as her official name) initially intended to become a pianist .She was awarded the designation of Associate in Music-Australia (AMusA) in classical piano at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium.

She also had professional piano performances she also received classical vocal training, and also played gospel, blues, and jazz music.

Her singing career began in the night of her birthday in the age of 18, when she was asked by Nicholas Ribush, leader of the Melbourne University Jazz Band, at the Memphis Jazz Club in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern she could sing with the band.she could join in with the group.

In 1963, she began performing at the same club with Frank Traynor’s Jazz Preachers and in the same year, she recorded her debut EP, “Judy Durham” with the Jazz Preachers for W&G Records.

At the time the Seekers comprised of Athol Guy, Bruce Woodley and Keith Potger who was an engineer with ABC Radio, through which they were able record an audition tape.The tape was then sent to W&G Records, which wanted another glimpse of Durham’s voice prior to deciding to record an album called Jazz Preachers album.

W&G decided to sign the Seekers together with Durham for an album entitled “Introducing the Seekers”.

The group smashed it when they set sail towards the UK on the SS Fairsky to provide on-board entertainment.

The group was planning to return in 10 weeks, but they received an influx of bookings from the Grade Agency, to whom they had sent the copy of their debut album and on November 4, 1964, they recorded ‘I’ll Find Another You at the EMI’s Abbey Road Studios.

Then, four years later on an excursion of New Zealand, Durham informed The group she was departing The Seekers and departed in July 1968.

Durham returned to Australia within a month and her first television specialcalled “An Evening with Judith Durham’ was telecast on the Nine Network in September.In her solo career, she has released three albums, titled “For Christmas with Love’and “Gift of Songs’ and ‘Climb Ev’ry Mount’.

In the year 1970, she made the TV special’Meet the The Judith Durham’ in London, with her version of the tune of the Parlour “When You Reach the Final Day of the World’.Perfect Day’.

In the year 1975, Durham starred in an singing and acting part in the role of Sarah Simmonds, a burlesque type performer in “The Golden Girl” which was one of the episodes of the Australian TV show “Cash and Company”.The show was set in the gold mining areas of the 1800s, the show also included Durham’s husband, Ron Edgeworth, on the piano.

She performed six songs , including”Oh Susanna, “When Starlight Fades, “Maggie Mae” “Rock of Ages”, ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ and The Lord Is My Shepherd’.

In 2003, Durham was in the UK for “The Diamond Tour’, which was a celebration of her 60th birthday.

The tour included an appearance at the Royal Festival Hall, of which a DVD and CD was released.

In the year 2006, Durham started modernising the lyrics and music in the Australian National Anthem, ‘Advance Australia Fair’.

she first played in the month of May in 2009.The song also came out as a single CD.

On the 13th of February.2009, Durham performed the closing number at the ‘RocKwiz salutes the Bowl Sidney Myer Music Bowl 50th Anniversary’ with ‘The Carnival Is Over’.

In June, 2018, to commemorate Durham’s 75th birthday the collection of 14 previously unreleased tracks was made available on the album “So Much More”.

On the 21st of November in 1969, Durham married her musical director, British pianist Ron Edgeworth in the Scots’ Parish in Melbourne.

They resided in the UK and Switzerland until the mid-1980s, when they purchased a property in Queensland.

In the year 1990, Durham, Edgeworth and their tour manager, Peter Summers, were involved in an accident in the Calder Freeway, a rural highway.

The driver of the other vehicle died at the scene , and Durham suffered a broken leg and wrist.

The reaction of her fans inspired Durham to think about getting back together with The other members of The Seekers for a Silver Jubilee show.

The reunion was a success, but Edgeworth was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.He died on the 10th of December in 1994 with Durham close by.

In 2000, Durham broke her hip and was unable sing ‘The Carnival Is Over in the ceremony that ended of the Sydney Olympics but she sang from a wheelchair during the Paralympics shortly after.

In the month of May 2013 on the Seekers’ Golden Jubilee tour, Durham suffered a stroke which hampered her ability write and read visually as well as musical scores.

However, the ability to sing was not impaired and she continued to improve her abilities during her recuperation.

Thanks for your music Judith Durham.We will miss you greatly.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at [email protected])

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