Catherine's work creates an evocative world which explores 60's film scores, jazz, classical, Latin and electronica. She creates a unique hybrid of uplifting melancholy and cool martini sipping textures. Most commonly described as the next potential Bond theme, Catherine's music is spacious, luminous and darkly intimate.

The theme for this special concert is BOSSA NOIR, taken mainly from Catherine’s three solo albums. Catherine is joined by two extra special guests - Sydney based guitarist/pianist singer Linley Hindmarsh, and cellist Talulah CM, fresh in the country from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Featuring Catherine McQuade, Linley Hindmarsh, Leo Dale, Talulah CM and Michael Davis.

Friday 20 March 2026 5:40 PM - 7:00 PM
Doors open at 5.40pm
Performance begins 6.00pm
$25 Non-Members
Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.

In ancient Rome the ides of each month were when accounts were commonly settled. Merchants met with their creditors and debtors. Most famously, Julius Caesar was stabbed by Brutus and 21 other senators to restore the political balance of the republic. These ides, however, see two poets swap a poem mid-month for almost two years. The exchanges were conducted by email, with the Melbourne Athenaeum Library acting as their shared cultural home. They are members of the Library’s Tuesday Writers Group.

You are invited to follow their zig-zagging path through a wide-ranging collection of poems, which balance and teeter on many of life’s eternal questions.

Marg Malloch’s background is in education, with a focus on vocational education and training, higher education, and capability. Her doctorate examined the impact of affirmative action policies on gender equity in the Victorian education system. She is lead editor of The SAGE Handbook of Workplace Learning, and The SAGE Handbook of Learning and Work, and second author with Len Cairns of Lifelong Learning for Capability. A work on digital technology and empowerment of workers in in production.

Joe Pascoe has had a long career in the visual arts, including roles at Shepparton Art Gallery, Australia Council for the Arts, and Craft Victoria. He has an Art History degree (La Trobe University) and a Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies (Prahran CAE). Recent poetry publications include Glass Kangaroo, Sharp Pencil, Bubbles, Frangipani, Gum Tree Burning, Merry-Go-Round and Bird Rock. Joe lives in Ivanhoe, Melbourne, with his family.

Doors 6.00pm
Launch 6.30pm

Thursday 19 March 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (UTC+11) This event is free for both members and non-members. Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.

CRYPTIC CLUES UNLOCKED - a 75-minute interactive session where the 8 basic formulas of cryptic clues are explained, then solved by participants via a sample puzzle.

Q&A throughout, this session is open to all levels. A few different games and a fresh ‘teaching puzzle’ to keep recidivists on their toes.

Saturday 7 March 2026 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM. Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.

Melbourne Athenaeum Library
L1, 188 Collins St, Melbourne Victoria 3000

Splendid: Art Songs through the Ages

From Medieval Scottish kingdoms and the court of Queen Elizabeth I, to Australian beachscapes and stories, join us for over five hundred years of song, featuring the perennial combination of voice and guitar.

Christelise de Graaf and Meredith Connie are active performers and educators, coming together in concert to share their love of the Art Song.

2026 sees the release of their first joint recording, My Splendours are Menagerie, featuring works by Australian female composers.

They are passionate about bringing the stories contained in the songs to life, and enjoy bringing wonderful but neglected repertoire to new audiences.

Doors open at 5.40pm
Performance begins 6.00pm
$25 Non-Members
Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.