Dawn Mantras (also known as Breath of the Spirit) was composed especially for the Dawn Performance which took place on the sails of the Sydney Opera House at sunrise on the first day of the new millennium and was telecast live to an estimated audience of two billion people around the world. Its simple message of hope for the future is expressed in languages of the Asia - Pacific region and its musical resources reflect Australia's cultural diversity.
It was first performed by Ellena Baroni, child soprano, Riley Lee, shakuhachi, Sandy Evans, tenor saxophone, Matthew Doyle, didjeridoo, The Sydney Children's Choir directed by Lyn Williams and The Sydney Chamber Choir directed by Nicholas Routley.