'Advance Australia Fair/Waltzing Matilda (Hylton Mowday Remix)' (Original)

When the theme of Reflections On Australiana was unveiled, the finale of the Midnight Fireworks soundtrack was unusually revealed early. The song unveiled, Advance Australia Fair/Waltzing Matilda (Hylton Mowday Remix), which was composed especially for the event, caused backlash from the public mostly from talkback radio listeners but most notably, the Prime Minister of Australia of the time, John Howard. After hearing it during a radio interview, John Howard has been quoted to say that "The public will not be able to sing along. The anthem should only be played and sung to allow maximum audience participation. It is after all our national anthem and I don't think it should be played around with. It's become widely accepted and I think people should be encouraged to sing it with great gusto, but it's got to be played in a way that enables them to do so.Most of us are pretty inadequate singers at the best of times and trying to keep pace with that, I don't know about you but gee I couldn't".

John Howard wasn't the only politician against it. The NSW Opposition Leader of the time, John Brogden was quoted to say "it is simply a bad piece of music. I think it actually strangles the national anthem, which is what I think is upsetting people the most. It's not like it's a slight change on the version that people are willing to entertain for a party. What it is on this occasion is a very bad piece of music and that's why I think the public anger has been so strong. I think people actually regard the treatment of the national anthem as disrespectful, cause it just doesn't work."

Due to the fireworks already programmed to the music, the song had to be played anyway and it did. On the night, it provided the soundtrack of the Sydney Harbour Bridge closing sequence of the Midnight Fireworks after 8 minutes of barge firings. The display was received with great fanfare afterwards.

This is the original studio recording.

Lyrics by Banjo Paterson and Peter Dodds McCormick
Sung by Louise Anton
Composed and mixed by Hylton Mowday