The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia), March 16, 2001 p007 
Wenham hits town to share a musical premiere. (News) 

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2001 News Ltd. 

Byline: Arts Editor SUSAN ARCHDALL 

TWO musical firsts are occurring at the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra's A Gala Opening, at the Festival Theatre tonight. 

Actor David Wenham is performing in his first gig with a symphony orchestra and young South Australian composer Natalie Williams, 23, is having a work premiered. 

Sydney-based Wenham, best known to people as Diver Dan from ABC-TV's SeaChange and the film Better than Sex , says: ``It is my first time with this piece and any form of work with an orchestra. 

``It's something extraordinarily unusual to get the opportunity to work with a huge orchestra.'' 

Wenham will narrate historical Australian texts intended to embody the national experience, accompanied by the ASO playing a work by composer Richard Mills. 

The pieces include former prime minister Paul Keating's speech at the funeral of the unknown Australian soldier, former NSW premier J.T. Lang's speech made on the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge and a poem by the late Adelaide poet Ian Mudie. 

Jack Thompson was billed as the actor to narrate the piece but a back injury prevented him from travelling to Adelaide. 

Wenham is going to be a guest on Philip Satchel's Profile Guide on ABC National radio today between 10am and 11am. 

Williams' short four-minute fanfare Sonic Boom will open the first of the ASO's 2001 concert series. 

``My piece will effectively break the barrier from silence into the sound of all the concerts that follow this year,'' she says, explaining the piece's title. 

Williams and five other young composers from across the country were commissioned to write fanfares as part of the Centenary of Federation celebrations. 

The concert is also being performed tomorrow night.