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| Women in Harmony Choir, Toowoomba |
On Saturday, 15 August,
Women in Harmony proudly celebrated a very special milestone…their 20th
birthday! That’s twenty years around the sun, and twenty years of bringing
women from all cultural backgrounds together through the joy of singing. For
two decades, Women in Harmony have created a non-judgemental space where
music, friendship and cultural harmony can thrive, enriching the lives of their
members and the wider community.
To help celebrate this
wonderful milestone, the Esk Community Choir was delighted to be invited
as guests to join Women in Harmony for a very special concert. 20 songs for 20 years was
the blueprint for a celebratory concert to a capacity audience at the
Philharmonic Hall in Toowoomba.
Living their
mantra, “Promoting
Understanding, Acceptance and Friendship,” Women
in Harmony, under the Musical Direction of Elaine Coates, took concertgoers
on a captivating musical journey around the world. From the cold, vast landscapes of Antarctica,
the journey continued through Finland, Chile, Japan, Scotland, Greece and
China, before finally arriving in Aotearoa with Te Aroha, a beautiful message
of love, hope
and peace for us all. Many of the songs were performed in
the language of their country of origin, adding another level of richness to
the experience.
Under
Alexis’s inspired musical direction, and to the sublime accompaniments of
Alexis and Ruth, the Esk Community Choir beautifully shared their own journey
through the joy of singing. Their varied selection of much-loved songs
delighted the audience, with their opening number, A Complete History of Western Music,
so captivating that it elicited a standing ovation.
Composer
and lyricist, Greg Gilpin’s Why We Sing has become not only the anthem
of Women in Harmony, but also a powerful celebration of the
transformative power of choral singing. On this day, as both choirs and past
WIH members came together on stage in collaboration, its message was brought to
life in a glorious wall of sound that filled the hall and lingered long after
the final standing ovation.
The birthday
celebrations overflowed into the ‘playroom’, where a sumptuous afternoon tea
awaited all comers. From the very first notes that rang out through the hall to
the cutting of the birthday cake, it was clear that this day was an uplifting
expression of talent, music, kindness and the power of song to bring people
together.
By: Sue Walker
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