Demonstration recording of '3:23 am' by Mark Simeon Ferguson, composed for the UNESCO Cities of Music Jazz Relay for International Jazz Day 2025. Performed by staff, recent graduates and current students from the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide. Lazaro Numa — flugelhorn Lucinda Wearing — alto saxophone Jasmine Hall — trombone James Muller — guitar Mark Simeon Ferguson — piano/composition/arrangement Tasha Stevens — double bass Bailey Hall — drums Video and audio recorded and mixed by Dylan Cooper. Recorded Elder Conservatorium Electronic Music Studio, University of Adelaide, Monday December 2, 2024.

Excerpt from Mark Simeon Ferguson's String Quartet No. 1: The Precarious Existence of the Plucky Hooded Plovers (The Hoodies) played by The Australian String Quartet, Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, August 2, 2024. This excerpt from the end of Clutch 1 (1st movement) just as the fox is snatching an egg. In this four-part, narrative-driven work we follow a fictitious breeding pair of ‘hoodies’ on a beach somewhere between Henley Beach South and Normanville, South Australia. Prelude: The pair are foraging, their movements alternating between a seamless glide and a jerky, stop-start gait. They are tiny, quirky, nervous-looking. Clutch 1 (1st movement): Late winter, two eggs. A wintery, Celtic melody is interrupted by an off-lead Jack Russell… Hoodie warning calls, chaos, one egg down. A fox menacingly paces towards the nest; anxiety raised, warning cries, egg down. Clutch 2 (2nd movement): late-spring, three eggs. A very high, high tide: melodic cells swirl in polyrhythmic waves. Two eggs down. A chick hatches—the miracle of life! The ‘wave’ theme returns, this time calmer. The Evil Gull Blues — a supercilious gull struts then seizes the moment. One more chick down. Clutch 3 (3rd movement): Mid-summer, two eggs. Shimmering heatwave (with quarter-tone sliding chords) builds to the chaos of a crowded beach. One egg down. One chick hatches! Uplifting theme as chick develops flying skills — 35 days to fledging and ’safety’. Modulation, chick soars, celebration! The Prelude returns. The Hooded Plovers provide a wonderful example of the power of volunteers supporting scientists to conserve our unique fauna. Since European colonisation, the ‘Hoodies’ existence has been precarious (3% chance of survival). They nest on the beach — just above the shoreline — with plenty of long-term dangers, but foxes, dogs, inattentive humans, 4WD’s and climate change have added new trials. for more info on Hooded Plovers go to https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/hooded-plover/ for more info on the Australian String Quartet go to asq.com.au

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra's Acknowledgement of Country. Songs by Jack Buckskin and Jamie Goldsmith, arranged/orchestrated Mark Simeon Ferguson.

Where Emus Roam the Streets is the first jazz release from the 2022 ABC Composer Commissions Fund, created to support new Australian music from emerging and diverse voices. Digital album | ABCJ0004D Release date: 26 August 2022 All tracks composed by Mark Simeon Ferguson except track 2: composed by Terrence Coulthard, arr. Ferguson. Mark Simeon Ferguson piano Kyrie Anderson drums Bonnie Aué double bass Ciara Ferguson vibraphone Jasmine Ferguson trombone Terrence Coulthard voice Recorded in the ABC’s Collinswood Studios, 7–9 February 2022 Produced by Tom Henry and Mark Simeon Ferguson Recorded by Jakub Gaudasinski and Gabriel Agostino Mixed by Tom Henry Field recordings by Mike Ladd Terrence Coulthard’s voice recorded in Iga Warta, South Australia by Mark Simeon Ferguson, 11 July 2022 Graphic design by Bonnie Aué • Photos by Mark Simeon Ferguson Video by Randy Larcombe

Songs from an Imperfect World, Mark Simeon Ferguson's first trio album in 21 years, will be available for download from June 5 from marksimeonfergusonmusic.bandcamp.com. The 8 original compositions feature his new trio with bassist Lyndon Gray and drummer Josh Baldwin. The album was recorded in January 2020 at Wizardtone Studios. It was produced by Adam Page, engineered by James JB Brown and mastered by Jarrad Payne