Musical meetings

![CDATA[Unsavoury impressions of Chinese music were widespread in the goldfields of nineteenth century Australia. Newspapers such as the Mount Alexander Mail reported on the unceasing cacophony of percussion and unusual vocal timbres. For the entertainment of the fast-growing Chinese community, operatic and circus troupes from Southern China began performing in Victorian tents and town halls from the 1850s (Lyndon, 1999; Farrell, 2009, p. 20) and numbered from thirty to fifty by the early 1860s (Love, 1985). The performers brought with them all the intrigue and mystery of the orient including props, opium-addicted lead performers, female impersonators and “dandies” (Farrell, 2009, pp. 20-25; Love, 1985. pp. 80-81). Although Europeans came to Chinese shows, many were not accustomed to, nor appreciative of the noise and din of Cantonese opera. The performance of this musical genre, coupled with a clash of cultural values and work ethics (Rolls 1992), may be attributed to European resentment of the Chinese in the area. This disharmony eventually culminated in an outbreak of civil violence and brutal massacres (ibid).]]