‘HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE’ WITH THE ‘SWEETHEARTS OF SONG’ AND FRIENDS…AND THEY DID!

 

It was going to take more than an unseasonal heat wave to stop the expectant followers and curious newcomers filling the RSL Hall in Toogoolawah for the ‘Sweethearts of Song’s’ much awaited concert, ‘Having the Time of Your Life’.

It was back in November 2015 when Kathleen, Susie, Maree and Carolyn formed the ‘girl group’, ‘Sweethearts of Song’ with a notion to entertain the gathering at Esk’s RSLfor a Remembrance Day celebration. Their repertoire included songs from the Andrews Sisters, old favourites from the war years to many of the songs from the storybook of lives. Following this inaugural performance, their popularity rose and concerts and performances in and around the Somerset. Lockyer Valley, Ipswich and Gold Coast areas have ensued.

Now inclusive of a broader repertoire, and on this day, the inclusion of the ever-popular Pete ‘The Plumber’ Edwards and sensational rising star, Aydan Forsythe, it was felicitous after nine years of performances, that the girls bring their brand of harmony and songs from the decades back to an RSL in this 2024 week of Remembrance.

Sweethearts with Pete the Plumber at the beginning of our journey  in Toogoolawah 2016

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And so it was that on 9^th November a capacity audience found their places around beautifully decorated tables, fortified by ice cold jugs of water as well as beverages from the bar, while the ‘Sweethearts’ sashayed onto the stage for two hours of sparkling entertainment; all these interspersed with Pete’s ‘King of Cool’ sounds, the launching of a musical dynamo, Aydan Forsythe and a delightful afternoon tea served during interval. If audience adulation and acclamation was a measure of their enjoyment, many people departed feeling thoroughly entertained.

Peter  AKA Dean Martin - Everybody Loves Somebody 

Aydan Forsyth  'Devil in Disguise'

Sweethearts of Song 'Shoop Shoop' 

By the time concert day comes around, the final product may often appear effortless…but it is not. To achieve success, the support of many amazing people is required. With this in mind, here is a list of some of those amazing people.

John and Chayne who laboured tirelessly to provide spectacular staging, sounds, and lighting; Esk Choir’s own Di and Jan who managed ‘front of stage’, raffles and afternoon tea with aplomb; Felice Evans firstly for her encouragement and persistence pushing for a Sweethearts’ performance and Felice, together with Don Duncombe who went above and beyond selling raffle tickets all day on the Toogoolawah Street to support the concert. Two Galah’s Gallery’s Ann Grant who never flinches when asked to be a source of ticket sales; Toogoolawah’s RSL management who have turned this ancient old hall into a delightful entertainment venue for their community and to Eugenie who worked tirelessly all day to accommodate our needs. To Alexis and the Esk Community Choir who have been jumping onto the ‘Sweethearts of Song’ bandwagon for all of these years with their encouragement and support and finally, to our fantastic audiences for whom the Sweethearts of Song continue to remain passionate about singing.

By: Sue Walker

MUSIC AND CHARMING ELEGANCE AT ‘THE GRAND’ IN ESK FOR THE RUNNING OF THE CUP

It was a smashing, positively dashing spectacle at Esk’s Grand Hotel on 5^th November, that special day when a nation stops for the running of the Melbourne Cup. And though Melbourne was awash with sparkling sunshine, colour, and glamour, it was no less evident at The Grand in Esk when members of the Esk Community Choir joined with a bumper crop of guests happy to be there, a wonderful excuse to lunch and converse on a day when pageantry meets sport.

The buzz of laughter and chatter only stopped when the black and white themed glamour of Choir members took their places for the sparkling entre of a far from restrained medley from My Fair Lady, setting the scene for the much-awaited running of the Melbourne Cup.

A colourful lineup of ladies and gentlemen sashayed and strutted for the judging of the ‘fashions on the field’.  Hotly contested, it was two of the choir’s own, Nola and Eric who so deservedly earned the judge’s praises.

By 2.05pm another race won…and lost…What a splendid moment it was!  Simply a thrilling, absolutely chilling running of the 2024 Melbourne Cup!!

By: Sue Walker

‘I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU’ - THE ESSENCE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT BY OPERA EAGLE’S NEST AND THE ESK COMMUNITY CHOIR

While the Esk Community Choir has been for the term of its 46 years generously living  its mantra ‘Service in Song’ there are some moments when an event has been neither a gift of song, nor  one of their own making and Sunday, 22^nd September when Opera Eagle’s Nest came to town was yet one more serendipitous opportunity to bring the joy of singing to an audience at the Somerset Civic Centre.

Howard Edmunds and his wife, Tania along with Glen Lorimer and Jenny are ‘Opera Eagle’s Nest’, the performance group who boast many years of international experience, who hail from Tambourine Mountain in Queensland.  Performing in venues and settings as diverse as their repertoire, Opera Eagle’s Nest have, since 2019, been bringing their brand of Operatic arias, Operettas, well-loved Broadway hits and lots in between to audiences in and around southeast Queensland. 

On this day, from the stage of the Somerset Civic Centre, Esk, Soprano Tania, Tenor Glen interspersed with Howard’s witty comic relief and some spectacularly colourful chorus and inspirational individual performances by members of the Esk Community Choir, the appreciative audience was left elated having been thoroughly entertained.

By: Sue Walker  

 

FUNDRAISING FOR ST MEL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH (Sept 2024)

 

Locus Isle 

Though the earliest historical records of St Mel’s Catholic Church’s establishment in the main street of Esk may have become rooted in the past, the tiny wooden Church standing alongside its humble but precious parish hall, has been, and continues to provide an important link between Esk’s rural past and its present.

 During the early years, it was today’s parish hall which served the community as the local Catholic School largely staffed by St Joseph nuns. In the fullness of time, the historic refectory has seen conversions to accommodate the regular rhythms of community life and religious celebrations, its old wooden walls echoing the voices of countless church meetings, and the joys of many social events, including the sounds at the time of the rapidly expanding Esk Community Choir and its weekly rehearsals.

Over time both Church and hall have become the beating heart of a thriving catholic community.  With the need to preserve these for future generations, a fundraiser was implemented for the repainting of the hall.

It was fitting therefore, that on Sunday, September 8^th,  the sounds of the now 46-year-old Esk Community Choir, under the direction of its founder Alexis, reverberated throughout the little Catholic Church during Father Dave O’Connor’s 10.00am mass bringing the joys of singing to a capacity congregation, the Choir’s sequel, a concert reawakening many of the songs which have,  on numerous occasions, filled this space.

Over in the parish hall following mass, there was a buzz of activity. The joie de vivre of a large band of volunteer workers including Carmilita and her amazing kitchen co-workers who capably satisfied the masses of supporters and visitors with a superb two-course lunch.  Sean Choat, completely in his element behind the microphone doling out raffle prizes to worthy winners faster than Edward Scissorhands and a community delighting in each other’s company, organizers thrilled to announce the financial success of this fundraising venture. 

If a life can be measured by all these wonderful things rather than in years, this little church and its parish hall will surely be filled with the joys of new beginnings for generations to come.

By: Sue Walker

Roly Cox and Alexis

Ubi Caritas  
Roly, Roger, Anna, Ruth & Sue

Anthem from Chess
The Men's Ensemble 

‘TASSIE TOUR ‘24’ THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (Story 3)

 

Magical view over the Derwent from MONA. 

The previous night following our workshop with Sisongke Choir, the rain had turned hotel windows into glass rivulets. Day 10 dawned and the sun spilled into the morning as if by accident.  How blessed we had been with the weather…’thank you God’… for today it was MONA, Hobart’s iconic museum of old and new art.  How does one put down on paper reactions/emotions/opinions that are far too complex to be confined by an alphabet – perhaps this extract will explain it better: 

Mona is the playground and megaphone of David Walsh, who grew up in Tassie (just down the road from Mona), dropped out of uni, played cards, won, did some other stuff, and opened a small museum of antiquities to which no one came.  He declared it a triumph and decided to expand.  The result is Mona, a temple to secularism, rationalism, and talking crap about stuff you really don’t know very much about. 

Mona is an art space to be explored, clearly with an open mind. As one spirals down into the bowels of the earth, there is art, some confronting, some not so much.  This writer won’t even begin to explain the practicalities of ‘the poo machine’, all this expounded on an app called ‘O’.  Live music, food and wine bars, and restaurants, even a children’s playground, were continuums of the Mona journey perfectly situated beside a view to die for over the mighty Derwent River.

With the clock still ticking, it was on to the colonial enclave of Richmond, considered Tasmania’s ‘premier historic town’.  Once a military post on the road to notorious Port Arthur, modern day Richmond is renown for its Georgian architecture and the iconic convict built stone bridge which still holds bragging rights to the oldest road bridge in Australia. While rumours abound of its being haunted by the ghost of a cruel overseer who was pushed to a premature death, we were more likely to be terrorised by the intrepid army of ducks and geese which patrolled the riverbank with hungry intent.   Phone cameras captured photos of  St John the Evangelist Catholic Church holding sway high on a Richmond hill  This beautiful church opened in 1837 has the distinction of being the oldest continuously used Catholic church in Australia.

Tom:  See over there?…it’s the oldest service station in Australia!

Apparently too much cheese is never enough and the samplings at The Wicked Cheese Factory down the road certainly did not disappoint.  Amongst the profusion of wonderful things Tasmania has to offer, its food, most notably its dairy, seafood and wine, must be right up there on the top shelf.   With yet another delightful group dinner this night at the Italian Tesoro Restaurant, one would be forgiven for believing we had embarked on a Gluttonous Gastronomy Tour of Tassie.  

It was day 11, now approaching the pointy end of our musical tour with two gala choral events, the first performance on this evening happening at Hobart’s Town Hall.

Day 11 also greeted us with an arctic blast and driving rain. When it comes to conquering cosy, even amid ‘feels like 1 degree’ temperatures, and with the iconic Salamanca Markets calling our names,  an army of ‘Roger’ jackets, beanies, three layers of thermals, boots, jumpers, scarves, gloves and brollies could be seen meandering amongst the cacophony of clientele scouring the stalls for last minute souvenirs, many soon to retreat to the warmth of the Salamanca Art Centre café for a warming cup of coffee.  

The botanically beautiful St David’s Park, once Hobart’s cemetery, its memorial wall now home to the headstones once present in the park’s previous life, was our windswept avenue to the snugness of our hotel rooms to prepare ourselves for our penultimate performance, ‘Musical Tapestry’.

The Hobart Town Hall’s grand staircase enticed all comers to seek further what lay within this beautifully restored historic building.  The grand ballroom with its palatial chandeliers, and intricate mouldings on ceiling and walls, depicting painted plaques of many of the classical composers was on first inspection a hive of choir- riser assembly activity but with all this, a scene to inspire an almost emotional reaction and we knew we were in for something very special that night; but not before our normally unflinching accompanists, Ruth and Alexis could perform a test run on the extremely grand piano.

This concert was to be our choral collaboration with Choral Productions Tasmania, a union of The Lincoln Singers from north of the river and The Southern Voices from the south, both community choirs under the direction of the youthful and highly credentialled Madeleine Dyer.   

With Madeleine at the helm for our combined pre-performance warm-up, once completed it was apparent that Alexis’s pursuit of perfection during the weeks and months of rehearsals had paid off leaving Madeleine speechless and in no doubt that we were well prepared for what was to be a choral extravaganza.  Both ours and CPT’s performances were consummate, accompaniments flawless and the euphoric sounds of the combined choirs had hairs on the backs of necks standing to attention, including ours along with many audience members in acclamation.  Not wanting to acknowledge that this day had reached its destination, on a musical high we made our way back to the welcoming armchairs at Mr Good Guy and the warm glow of a convivial wine …or two.

Day 12- and that icy blast was not about to give in!  It also happened to be Vietnam Veteran’s Day, a day which has earned its place in history, and in the hearts of those who served.  Time and distance may have separated our Tom and his mate, Steve who now resides in Hobart, however this is a friendship forged whilst serving with the 1^st Australian Field Hospital, Vung Tau, Vietnam in 1970/71 which has endured. Though the memorial service at Hobart’s Cenotaph attended by Kathie, Tom, and Steve may have been in a context of war, emotions both individual and complex, in the end it is all about sacrifices, comrades, and a greater understanding of each other; Tom’s and Steve’s, a friendship to last a lifetime.  

Back at the Hotel Ibis, the scuttlebutt over breakfast led many to believe that morning service at St David’s Cathedral was to be a choral eucharist with the Cathedral choir.  Perfect! - an opportunity to suss out the setting for our choir’s final Evensong performance.  To wander down Macquarie Street and hear the sounds of the bell-ringers heralding the 10.00am service was highly heartwarming even before setting foot in this magnificent Gothic-revival edifice, the Mother church for the Diocese of Tasmania since 1874…why even the wooden pews were heated!! 

Perhaps it was the power of prayer or just plain luck that also on this day, ‘The Claude Bolling Classical Jazz Ensemble’ was to be performing in the Cathedral at 3.00pm and since we all needed to be in uniform, in attendance for a 4.00pm rehearsal, an earlier arrival might prove to be a serendipitous encounter.

Well…contrary to popular opinion…words now fail me as I look for appropriate superlatives to describe the genius of this group. A fabulous pianist, a consummate cellist, double bass player with soul, and a very cool percussionist all of whom apparently had simply come together for this series of seven Jazz Festival performances.  What a treat!!  All moments from here could not possibly measure up…

But they did.  With our choir group alternating positions between quire and alter, to Alexis’s masterful accompaniments and the polished power of Rod on the magnificent pipe organ, between Evensong’s scripture readings and prayers, we sang our sacred songs, psalms, canticles and anthems, our voices soaring and spiralling to the heights of the awe-inspiring stained-glass windows.

This was to be our final night in Tasmania.  Buoyed by such an uplifting day, the success of this tour and in anticipation of our final dinner together at the Franklin Wharf Restaurant and Bar, it was obvious we were not going gently into this cold night.  We quaffed, sipped, laughed and consumed all that was on offer and in rare moments of sanity gave our thanks to those who made this tour the success it became. 

Kathie, you have been our true north. Without your thoroughness, patience and your ability to walk the walk and be the best darn Tour Manager in the business, we will always be grateful.

To our extras, who became our groupies and then our friends, thank you for being our ‘bag ladies’, photographers, and for all your uplifting praise which made our heads swell just a little. 

To Ruth, who has travelled the length and breadth of this continent in a car and caravan with a keyboard on her lap and a song on her lips so that her accompaniments and singing will never ever be found wanting, we also give our sincerest thanks.

…and to Alexis, for your incomparable compassion, inspiration, patience, sensitivity, and allowing us all to steal so many pieces of your life; for walking us into your world of music and teaching us so much that we never want to leave, we give our warmest thanks.

By: Sue Walker

Thank you Jo Brown for the beautiful 
Paperclip gift you gave to each traveller. 

Thank you Liz Kelleher for adding this extra task 
to our journey...such fun! 

Thank you to our very competent and engaging Drivers/guides. 
Aaron (McDermotts) , Ian, Suzze, Rod, Rick (Coal River Coaches) 

Link to other stories  Tassie Tour 1 

                                  Tassie Tour 2 

HOBART CALLING! ‘TASSIE TOUR 24’ (story 2)

One of the real joys of travel is that it allows one to become curious.  It permits us to remember that beyond the everyday worries of a work-day world there are adventures to be had and having them this choir certainly was as we travelled in coach comfort down the highways and byways of this naturally beautiful, culturally diverse Island state.  

Day 6 – with suitcases stashed, we were headed for Hobart.  ‘Ok… let’s do a count!’, a practice devised by our diligent Tour Manager Kathleen (No. 27) to keep track of 32 inquisitive/spirited/talkative travellers.   Kathie’s back-up ‘buddy system’ also worked a treat in sussing out missing members.  So militaristically executed was this count off, that even our driver, Aaron was almost afraid not to identify as No.33.

We popped into Campbell Town for a coffee, the contents of its merino woollen shop few could resist.  We were regaled of a rich convict history, and many wandered to the convict designed Red Bridge still surviving as Australia’s oldest brick arch bridge.  

We learned of the intriguing stories surrounding the village of Ross with its magnificent sandstone bridge created by convict artisans. And it wasn’t only history that loomed large in the village of Oatlands boasting Australia’s third oldest windmill, built in 1837, now the centrepiece for a whisky distillery, or the very quaint collection of convict-built sandstone homes.  Moreover, it was the burgeoning appetites of 30 odd travellers from Esk all soon to be sated with warm hearty meals at Oatlands’ Kentish Hotel.

The steps of the old Kempton Distillery, situated in a well preserved 1840’s colonial inn, allowed for a perfect group photo after which came a warm welcome to the tasting room where various shots of whisky, gin and a sweet liqueur were given the seal of approval…or not…similarly the prodigious ladies’ loo which appeared to attract curious attention.

With spirits lifted on so many levels it was no time before we were staggering with suitcases throughto the foyer of Hobart’s Hotel Ibis, to bid our thanks and adieu to our driver Aaron who proved to be as competent as he was entertaining.   

Rooms sorted; it was all hands-on deck at the Hotel’s Mister Good Guy Restaurant to chow down on copious amounts of Asian cuisine and Tassie wines before preparing the following day’s music for our performance at Mathers Place. 

Tom:  I wonder if I asked the restaurant manager, he’d give me discount on a new fridge/freezer?

Day 7 - and we were dropped off at the ‘drop-in’ centre, Mathers Place, in anticipation of our first Hobart public performance.  Despite our unexpected arrival, and with performance conditions less than ideal, there was something deeply joyous and beautiful about singing for the few people who happened to be there.  Run by volunteers, this is a centre which offers companionship, all manner of physical and mental support along with arts and craft activities, and hearty meals for whom ever would like a warm and welcoming place to be.  Many enjoyed the lunch time hospitality at Mathers Place; others found a delightful little hole-in-the wall café for a quick bite to eat and soon it was onwards and upwards, literally.  Kunanyi/ Mt Wellington awaited.

From the sea to this mountain’s summit, negotiating a very steep narrow roadway, one could imagine the violence of its birth – a mountain erupting huge boulders now worn down by time, wind and snow, like giant seed pearls, stuck to the sheer slopes by mighty swamp gums and flowering plants.  It was truly breathtaking.  From the summit viewing platform many braved the iron walkway’s sharp winds to marvel at the towering cliffs and unique panoramic views of Hobart while others preferred the cosy comfort behind glass at the viewing station.  Many found sites to place their ‘Liz rocks’ with an expectation of discovery and recirculation to places far and wide.

Perhaps the survivors of the inhuman acts inflicted at Cascade Female Factory back in the 1800s onlyspoke of it to make sense of it.  Perhaps they felt a responsibility to tell their stories…perhaps it was the reason they survived.  The words on the walls, the stories of cruelty to the women and children, the resilience of those who managed to survive were so passionately iterated by Kay, our storyteller and guide. Truth can be so much harder than fiction. Our gathering that night for a group dinner at the fabulous ‘hook to plate’ award winning seafood restaurant ‘Mures’ down by Franklin Wharf was more than a welcome comfort at the end of a day of highs and lows.

Day 8 – and following our usual hearty Mr Good Guy breakfast we headed into the day with our driver de jour ‘Suuzzz’ with caffeine sizzling through our veins.  Port Arthur Historic site our destination whilst enjoying informative, often amusing commentary along the way - the Macquarie Street intersection, ‘the only one in Australia with heritage listed sandstone buildings on each corner’: the tale of the Tasman Bridge disaster. We passed the ‘Hope and Anchor’, arguably the oldest pub in Australia and in Richmond crossed the oldest Bridge.  We did Doo Town, once a timber town now a ‘shack’ community with quirky holiday house names attracting inquisitive passers-by: Doolittle, Doo Come In, Love Me Doo, It’ll Doo for Now, Doo Like a Drop… oh how I could go on but, that’ll have to doo!!  We were confounded by the ‘dunny’ shaped cop shop before doing coffee in  Dunalley; learned of the ‘Dogline’ at Eaglehawke Neck where the rope-line of vicious dogs thwarted any escape plans by convicts from Port Arthur, a story in stark contrast to the awesome vistas overlooking Pirates Bay, Devil’s Kitchen, and a photographer’s dream at the Tessellated Pavements, the polygonic rock phenomena caused by the earth’s tremors at Eaglehawk Neck.

But… how easy it is to digress during a day of so many highlights for it was to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic site that our road this day would lead. Such a complex history of compelling stories of convict life in this now pristine piece of Tasmania. 

We roamed the grounds and gorgeous gardens to the Penitentiary, the separate Prison, and the unconsecrated convict church where the authorities attempted to reform convicts through religious instruction and worship.  We wandered through homes of the gentry, the Port Arthur post office, and enjoyed a boat trip out to the Isle of the Dead, the final resting place for more than 1000 convicts, military and civil officers, and so many women and children. It has been said that history is not about dates, places and experiences, it is about the people who filled the spaces in between and so it is to those victims of the Port Arthur massacre that a memorial garden and pool of peace have been created that they will never be forgotten.

 

A soft grey face of morning greeted us on day 9…our first hint of rain but it was going to take a little more than a cold day in Hobart to prevent our group boarding the bus headed for our scheduled small serving of succulent oysters at the Barilla Bay Oyster Farm.  The tour was informative too and included a growing appreciation of their famous ginger beer and the jaw-dropping price of abalone.

However, it was this evening’s workshop with the Sisongke Choir which had the group unshackled from expectations of perfection since little was known of this group.  What a breath of fresh air this evening became.  Sisonke Msimang, a South African writer and storyteller of race, gender and politics states ‘If a story moves you, act on it’.  Through their songs, this Sisongke Choir under the direction of the dashing Oliver, celebrates all that this amazing lady speaks.  Across an evening of a shared workshop at a delightful little Quaker School, we taught and learned four beautiful songs side by side.

   

This night, it rained.

…and so it is in the rain awaiting taxis with echoes of the last four days’ adventures and the promise of so much more to come that I will leave you to hopefully join me for the final leg of our ‘Tassie Tour ‘24’.

By: Sue Walker

Link to other stories from Tasmania  Tassie Tour 1
                                                           Tassie Tour 3