Grief, Grace and the Music of Nick Cave

An evening of live music, story and shared reflection

In the midst of pain, loss, grief and joy, music can give expression to what we can’t find words for.

Few artists have shown this as openly as Nick Cave. Following the deaths of two of his sons, Cave has written and sung about grief with rare honesty, naming the unsayable and making room for great suffering and great love to be held side by side.

Join us for Into the Cave, an evening bringing together writers and musicians to explore these experiences through music, story and conversation.

Our guests

Mark Mordue — keynote speaker

Mark Mordue is a writer, poet and music journalist whose work spans music criticism, travel writing and biography. He is the author of Boy on Fire: The Young Nick Cave, which explores Cave’s formative years, his family and influences, and the emerging Melbourne punk scene that helped shape his music. Mark will give the evening’s keynote address.

Fiona Dyball

Fiona Dyball is a Melbourne-based musician, educator and liturgist working across school, parish and tertiary settings. Her writing on prayer, liturgy and music appears in books, journals and magazines, including Australian Catholics, and her compositions are published by Liturgical Song. Fiona will contribute songs and reflections to the evening.

Rebecca Hart

Rebecca Hart will join Fiona and Dingo in contributing songs and reflections, bringing another voice to the evening’s exploration of grief, grace and music.

Dingo Spender

Dingo Spender is a twice ARIA-nominated songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. He is one half of Mama Kin Spender, his collaboration with Danielle Caruana, which combines deeply personal songwriting with guitar, percussion and vocal harmonies. His wider work includes theatre and film music, and collaborations with artists including Gotye, Kimbra, Lior and Clare Bowditch.

Inspired by The Red Hand Files

Through The Red Hand Files, Nick Cave responds to readers’ questions about their lives, including experiences of grief and love. In one response, he writes: “Grief and love are forever intertwined.”

That spirit of honest conversation will inform our evening. You’ll be invited, if you wish, to bring a question, a memory or a hope of your own. You are equally welcome to simply listen.

You don’t need to be a Nick Cave fan, or religious. Come as you are.

When and where

Friday 27 November 2026 · Starting at 7:30pm

Whitefriars College,
156 Park Road, Donvale, Victoria 3111
Parking Available

Tickets

Standard: $40
Concession: $20

Option to pay-it-forward to help fund more concession places.

Presented by The Carmelite Centre Melbourne.

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