13/11/2025
Get your tix now! A unique experience!
A unique performance in the Chapel of the Hobart Penitentiary….. ‘Love Asunder’-The Story of Alice + John McKinlay
Award-winning musicians Elly Hoyt (voice) and Louise Denson (piano) bring to life a remarkable true tale of courage, love, and devotion. Love Asunder tells the story of Alice and John McKinlay, a young Irish couple torn apart by desperation during the potato famine.
After stealing two geese, John was sentenced to seven years in Van Diemen’s Land. Exonerated but unwilling to be separated, Alice—left with two small children—committed a second theft to follow him to the far reaches of the colony.
A moving musical retelling of endurance, love, and the human spirit.
Tickets: $35
Date: 14th December at 6pm-7pm
Where: Hobart Penitentiary Chapel
Book Here: https://nationaltrusttas.rezdy.com/736017/unshackled-hobart-penitentiary-presents-love-asunder
Alice and their children were shipped out first. On arrival, the children, Mary Ann and James Patrick, were placed in an orphanage. James died of dysentery shortly after. John languished a whole year in jail before he was transported. Remarkably, after serving their sentences and receiving their tickets of leave, Alice and John were reunited. They were able to start a new life, settling in the Kempton area of what is now known as Tasmania.
Hoyt and Denson together have crafted nine songs which tell this beautiful and heart wrenching story of a love asunder. These songs reflect their musical backgrounds, blending Irish and folk music with their shared love of genre-bending jazz.
About the Musicians
Elly Hoyt
Elly Hoyt is a Tasmanian-born vocalist and composer recently returned from London. Known for her soulful, commanding sound, she has released three acclaimed albums — Elly Hoyt, Oranges and Sunshine, and The Composers’ Voice: Celebrating Australian Women Composers.
A Bell Award winner and Marten Bequest Scholar, Elly has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and internationally in New York, Germany, China, and the USA. Career highlights include supporting jazz legend Kenny Barron and performing for King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Louise Denson
Louise Denson is a Hobart-based pianist, composer, arranger, and educator working across jazz and classical music. She has released seven albums and performed at major festivals including Montreal, Wimbledon, Wangaratta, and the Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival.
Her recent commissions include works for the Clarence Jazz Festival, Richmond Bicentenary, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Louise’s compositions have been performed by leading artists such as Elly Hoyt, Bill Watrous, and the Viney-Grinberg Duo, and are published by Wirripang and TSO House.
Charlie McCarthy
Charlie McCarthy is an Irish-born, Australian-based violinist and fiddle player whose career spans symphony orchestras, Celtic dance bands, jazz combos, bluegrass groups, and film soundtracks. He has performed at major festivals and venues across Australia and abroad with ensembles including The Seals, Belleville, The Harry Edwards Quartet, and Django’s Tiger.
A passionate educator, Charlie lectures in contemporary violin at the University of Tasmania, presents professional development for AUSTA, and runs workshops and online lessons nationwide. He is also the inventor of the Polycorde Bow and author of the Postclassical Violin method series — all while sharing his greatest joy: playing the fiddle and making music with others.
Join us for what promises to be a spectacular performance in a unique location.
