Name: The Old Rugged Cross
Start: 2025-04-02T19:30:00+11:00
Location: Melbourne Recital Centre

The voice of Emma Donovan carries deep currents within it.
With family from both sides of the Australian continent, her many musical influences reflect her early experiences singing country music, as well as the rich legacy of soul music which she famously embodies so powerfully.
In The Old Rugged Cross, Emma explores another side of those early wellsprings-the gospel and hymns she grew up with in communities. Some of these songs, such as the title track 'In the Sweet Bye and Bye,' 'One Day at a Time,' and 'I'll Fly Away,' will be familiar to lovers of country gospel music made famous by the likes of Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, and Elvis Presley. Performing songs by her grandfather Micko Donovan, Emma will also deliver a memorable tribute to Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace.'
Joining forces with celebrated pianist, composer, and conductor Paul Grabowsky, plus a powerful collection of Melbourne's finest jazz musicians. Together, they pay tribute to a rich musical legacy in arrangements given the inimitable Grabowsky treatment, a loving nod to grand traditions, and a homage to the great Emma Donovan herself.