Stretching 2300 kilometres down the coast of Queensland, Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth. It is home to a diverse and unique community of marine life, from the tiniest of coral polyps to magnificent stingrays and green turtles. The reef forms an ecosystem which is vital to the health of the planet’s oceans and it is a place of incredible natural beauty.

The Gimuy Walibara Yidinji people from the Cairns region have lived alongside the reef for thousands of years and many of their current traditions originated in ancient times. Legends, stories and dances have been passed down from generation to generation and one of their stories speaks of how the Great Barrier Reef came into existence.

Timothy Sherlock has composed a tone poem inspired by the Yidinji people’s traditional creation story of the Great Barrier Reef for the 18th International Handbell Symposium in Cairns, Australia. Comprised of five sections: The Calm, The Hunt, The Remedy, The Reef and The Future, this exciting new work interprets the creation story through the art of handbells and handchimes, with optional bass guitar and percussion parts (available upon purchase of the Conductor’s Score).