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Date:
22/6/2009

Title:
Choir Home with a vow to return to Halls Creek

Content: Choir Home with a vow to return to Halls Creek


Della Rae Morrison and George Walley sing at Halls Creek Primary School

Madjitil Moorna Choir has returned from a ten day trip to Halls Creek filled with passion, and looking to future possibilities for collaboration with the community.

Following an invite from a local Halls Creek Teacher, Doreen Green, the Choir spent endless hours planning for the trip, including three major fundraising activities before Embarking on Halls Creek in May 2009. The group had planned an interactive community concert. There was also a fantastic range of after-hours activities and opportunities for local school children and community members at the stage in the Town Centre.

Whilst in Halls Creek the group worked in an extremely flexible manner and broke into small groups to facilitate a wide range of different activities including sharing songs and stories with the community, facilitating craft workshops and providing dental care.

A highlight of the trip was the production of the Respect Yourself Respect Your Culture community concert involving workshop participants and local musicians including Geoffrey Fletcher and the Walkabout Boys. The Concert was attended by hundreds of families from Halls Creek and outlying communities. The group also had the privilege of performing with the Halls Creek children in the high profile Barramundi Concert for Indigenous musicians in Kununurra.

Choir Coordinator Jo Randell said, “We have left behind a repertoire intended to encourage an ongoing community choir in the town. The entire trip was truly awe inspiring, touching, emotional. I think that we were all touched and mesmerized and reluctant to come home. The presence of the Aboriginal Music Directors Della Rae Morrison and George Walley was invaluable as they together demonstrated strong and vibrant role models.”

“I must give a special thanks to all of the organisations who have supported the project to date, with a special mention to Healthway, the Department of Indigenous Affairs, Jungarni Jutiya and the Local Government Authorities of Halls Creek and Kalamunda. However the real magic has come from members of both communities who have invested themselves in the project.”

The Choir is already planning to return, with members of the group also going back to Halls Creek in August to continue their work with local youth.

Choir Singer Sylvia Andrews said, “The Halls Creek children were so attentive and affectionate. I was surprised! I thought it would take a while to win over their trust and respect but it was quite the opposite. These children were so open to new people and new things. I think they loved the fact that the sole reason for us being there was to sing and have fun with them…..no hidden agenda, just quality time between two very different groups from opposite ends of the state. I loved every moment spent with the children but my highlight would have to be singing with the kids at both the Halls Creek and Barramundi Concerts. Together, on stage in front of everyone, sharing a special bond through song…magic! I fell in love with the children of Halls Creek.”

The Choir meets in Forrestfield in the Perth foothills. Since 2006 it has been singing Aboriginal songs, both traditional and contemporary and performing all over the metro area. Audiences are delighted to see Noongars, Yamatjis and Wetjellas of all backgrounds, singing together in language and having a great time. New members are welcome. Please explore the website www.madjitilmoorna.org.au for more information.

Backgrounder
In the choir there are mothers, kids, fathers, teachers and AIEOs, health professionals, psychologists, managers, artists, greenies, Christians, atheists, new agers, skeptics, recent migrants, unemployed people, IT people, a physiotherapist, a film-maker, a metal worker, a financial advisor, a company director, a dentist, a psychiatrist, an actor, a research fellow, community arts project workers and an agricultural adviser. What we have in common is a desire to learn more about Aboriginal culture and to share the joy of singing in various languages, with everybody.

The organization behind the choir is the Kalamunda-based Zig Zag Community Arts Inc which holds an annual festival in Stirk Park Kalamunda. ZZCA is entirely volunteer-driven and supported by the Shire of Kalamunda and other funding bodies. Madjitil Moorna started as a community arts project when it was realized that there was no other recognition of Aboriginal culture in this diverse and multi-cultural shire. Jo Randell with a passion for getting people singing, became the project coordinator. After months of networking and 13 weeks of rehearsals with Della Rae Morrison and Jessie Lloyd of the band DJIVA, 6 songs were performed by a group of 32 people. The large and very surprised audience at the Zig Zag Festival were thrilled to see such a unique and joyous choir, singing in language.

HALLS CREEK

An old friendship between Halls Creek teacher Doreen Green and Jo Randell led to the recent trip to the Kimberley. Doreen grew up in the town and as an adult married with 5 small children, lived in Geraldton. It was there in 1978 that Doreen enrolled in the new Aboriginal Access course being offered at TAFE. Jo was her young teacher – just married and keen to teach adults, having taught in primary schools previously.

Doreen wanted to be a teacher and could see this as the way to achieve her goal. Just 5 years of schooling and an avid interest in books were the only foundations for this ambitious plan.

Doreen did in fact complete the teaching degree in spite of all obstacles and taught in the prison system and in NT communities before settling back in her home town of Halls Creek. She was distressed to see a level of addiction and violence which were not a part of her happy childhood in the beautiful country around Halls Creek.

Doreen now teaches at the Halls Creek District High School. She met Jo again in Oct 2008 when she was in Perth for a conference. It turned out that Madjitil Moorna was performing at the Chocolate Martini Aboriginal music club during her stay and she came along. Doreen was extremely moved by the choir’s performance and thought immediately of the benefits that would flow if the children at her school could be exposed to the group and its soulful songs of reconciliation and healing. She said, ‘Be bold, Jo. We have to do it for the kids.’

Remembering these words and Doreen’s own determination, Jo was steeled to take on this challenge. The choir, believing in the healing power of singing was keen to offer songs and friendship to the kids and community.

After 12 months of planning, a field trip for 2 singers and some very effective fund-raising, Madjitil Moorna plus extras set off for Halls Creek.

The choir planned to promote positive self-esteem and good health through the healing power of singing together in Aboriginal languages as well as English.