Our Gift to The OUTBACK Tour Sept 2012

It was September 30th, 2012 when a bunch of Choristers from the ESK COMMUNITY CHOIR, croaky of voice, weary of body but buoyed in spirit, returned home from their "Our Gift to the Outback" Concert Tour, having delivered the gifts of their songs and won over a whole new bunch of followers from as many as ten outback Queensland towns. This is their story.

Ready to leave from Esk Sept 20th 2012

A cold, misplaced Wintry morning greeted the touring party as we awaited the Murray's Coach, our transport for the next 11 days. Trying to tell a group of predominantly women to keep luggage to a minimum is virtually incomprehensible. So it was that 34 excited Choristers, a small party of well-wishers and a platoon of suitcases, hand luggage, bags, boxes, choir risers, piano and equipment lined up for 60 meters along the footpath to greet Shane , the Coach Driver who proved to be our true north and guiding light around Queensland.

Checking out the pantry in "Chilla'a Chuck Wagon"

Thirteen performances in ten towns covering a distance of some 2,500 kilometers was our blueprint. Some great planning and our own support vehicle "Chilla's Chuck Wagon" with everything including the kitchen sink, kept the Tour on schedule all the way.

Many of our performances included Retirement Homes, where, to give the gift of our singing to such receptive audiences was to set the bar for other performances in places as diverse as the repertoires we were presenting. At these homes, some commented.. "Hearing music like that makes everything in my body move!!" .. and.. " Singing like yours makes me want to keep on living"; from another... " how 'bout something by Slim Dusty!!" . It was never easy to leave them.

Bouncing our way down the undeviating country roads, some now well traversed with that passing parade of workers seeking opportunities around the mining boom and against the returning army of Grey Nomads, we bee-lined it west, north and east. Following an emerging landscape of bottle trees, and fattening cattle feeding on grasses made lush by seasons of flooding rain to the now not so dry western plains and back again, we gave performances at Miles, Roma, Tambo, Blackall, Longreach, Emerald, Biloela, Goovigen, Gayndah and Blackbutt and stopped off at many other places of interest in between. All these places, having been affected by natural disasters of one form or another in recent times, were in awe of our performances and gratified by the rewards the gifts of our singing were able to bring.

Concerts venues ranged from Sheds and Church Halls to Civic Centres and grand Town Halls and in Blackall and Gayndah we were invited to lead in song at Sunday Services. A notable highlight was our Concert at Blackall's Woolscour. Following a workshop with a number of ladies from their Choir ( a first for them) our Choirs performed separately and together the very first concert ever held in this amazing venue...a place which spoke of the life and times of a shearing shed and wool processing operation since 1908. Another highlight was our Concert at the QANTAS Founders Museum, a magnificent monument to an Aussie Icon.

However, to choose highlights from 11 days of amazing and unique experiences is always going to be a predicament but many will agree that our Sunset Cruise on the Thomson River outside Longreach would have to have been one of them. The Thomson River, connecting with the Barcoo and together forming Cooper Creek and the lake Eyre Basin has been the vessel for many seasons of flooding rains and that evening it was a beautiful place to be alive. To glide down this perfect place of peace and beauty and witness the ever changing colours of the setting sun was like a piece of poetry coming a long distance to find us. Later under lanterns, in front of a corro iron shed, serenaded by some great Aussie folk singing, we dined and savoured the delights of an amazing outback experience.

Luke Thomas - Stockman's Hall of Fame

Longreach that week was awash with 125year anniversary celebrations. Many wandered the exhibits at the Stockman's Hall of Fame; laughed at and lauded the antics and skill of Stockman, Luke Thomas, as he worked his magic with his dogs, horses and bullocks; some relived the Pioneering days on the Cobb & Co Coach ride around town. All managed to squeeze in the mandatory meanderings of souvenir snaffling around the shops and by the time we all gathered in the Motel bar for pre-dinner drinks, each had their wealth of stories to tell. On we traveled.

At Goovigen, where our reputation had gone before.. (Alexis, our leader, having once conducted a Workshop there) , we were welcomed back as old friends with that wonderful country camaraderie to which we were now becoming accustomed.

Blackbutt Concert

Blackbutt, our final concert, we felt we were coming home, not just for the kilometers covered but also for the association our Choirs had come to cherish over many years. With an already waiting audience here, we wondered if we had created a ' first-on-tour' and arrived late!!... However, with costume changes now becoming slicker than clean socks on a polished floor we were soon set up and singing our hearts out to the delight of the appreciative Blackbutt audience.

Euphoria was the emotion felt following this final performance. We had delivered the gift of our singing and our music with these performances in all these towns around Central and Outback Queensland and the rewards had been felt so deeply by so many including ourselves.

Robyn and Patrina - Dreaming!

Everyone loves music. Even people who know as much about music as would fit into a pinkie finger still listen to and are moved by music in one form or another. Music is the language of our memories.....songs the soundtrack of our lives reminding us of moments in times past and present. Music surrounds us. However, when people hear that " a choir " is coming to town, it's often met with images of a bunch of old biddies scratching out a few tunes on a stage. That the repertoires for each of our Concerts were as diverse as the places in which we performed them was absolutely illuminating to every one of our audiences and in part, the reason we were lauded with accolades and pleading requests to return. The Esk Community Choir carried audiences across a range of a repertoire from Rutter to Queen and lots in between ; from Australiana to James Bond; Arias from Operas and some beautiful instrumental duets. We sang our songs and left audiences in no doubt of the truly amazing joys of Choral singing and a celebration of what Choral Music can bring.