|
| |
Mates across the Divide
Newspaper and media reports in 2007 highlighting the plight of our NSW farmers
suffering from 8 years of drought conditions, with many in desperate personal
and financial straits, helped foster the idea of a tour by
Sydney Male Choir to these outback communities of western NSW to entertain and encourage
the farmers they were not forgotten by their city colleagues.
The ‘Mates across the Divide’ tour was decided and, under the guidance of
our Vice President Tom Coghlan, a programme to visit as many towns and
villages as possible on the western side of the Great Dividing Range was
formulated.
On the 18th September, 2007, just 2 days after our major Annual Sydney Town Hall
Concert, 70 singers and supporters headed west to our first port of call,
Bathurst, where we performed the 1st
of 11 concerts in 12 days.
We sang in the town halls, schools, village halls and clubs of Parkes,
Forbes, Condobolin, Lake Cargelligo, Hillston, Hay, Ivanhoe, Finley, Griffith
and West Wyalong to audiences ranging from a couple of hundred to just
thirty in the township of Ivanhoe.
We got to hear many tales of terrible hardship and there have been many suicides
but the most important point of the tour was that we brought some cheer end
encouragement to some very
hard pressed people.
The impact of our tour was summed up in a letter from Trish Palmer of the
Overnewton Station, via Mildura. She travelled 80 kms to be one of the 30
persons at the Ivanhoe Concert.
Some of the comments in her letter perhaps truly reflect the overall reaction to
the Choir’s tour.
“Nothing prepared me for the amazing performance of this 40-strong choir.”
“To think they would give up their time to perform in a little country town such
as Ivanhoe, all in the name of drought aid, was humbling.”
“I, for one, will never forget the delight these men brought into my life for
just a few hours.”
“Just by bringing themselves to our neck of the woods, to show they cared and to
bring such talent, was more than I could ever hope for. I left feeling uplifted
and moved.”
The Country Women’s Association were an essential element in this tour,
providing great support, feeding us royally at many of the venues and accepting
responsibility for the distribution of the $20,000 raised by our concerts for
those farmers in need.
For
Sydney
Male Choir members, it was a most unique and memorable
tour. It was a very interesting and moving experience to meet those suffering
hardship. They were so grateful that we had made the effort to visit them and
that we cared and wanted to share with them their plight. All of those on the
tour will never forget the experience.
Exhausting? Yes it was - but ever so rewarding.
Read Brian Lawler's
epic poem of the tour
The proceeds from the concert in Forbes
helped to support local young musician, Carl Janetzki.
Further details of his successes.
For his work in organising the Mates
Across the Divide Tour Tom Coghlan, our Secretary, was named on the
2GB / 2CH Amazing Australians List.
More...
|
