Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir And Vienna Boys’ Choir Join Forces For Songs Of My Country
Two legendary children’s choirs, Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir (GICC) and the Vienna Boys’ Choir (VBC/Wiener Sängerknaben) will come together for a world-first collaboration in Sydney and Cairns in October, to perform Songs of My Country, a unique celebration of culture and language.
Songs of My Country is a remarkable choral event for which the VBC will travel from Austria to Australia to perform two concerts with GICC on the choir’s home soil Cairns and in Sydney, at the Sydney Opera House.
Gondwana Choirs Founder and Artistic Director Lyn Williams OAM says, “Songs of My Country is so much more than two choirs performing together. It’s a truly unique cross-cultural exchange between two world-class ensembles that bridges their diverse cultural heritage through a shared love of singing and performance.
The concerts will feature the music for which the three ensembles are best known: classical masterpieces (VBC); traditional songs and dances from the Torres Strait (GICC); and music by leading Australian composers (SCC). The highlight of the concert is sure to be the world premiere of Boori Guman, a work written expressly for the three combined ensembles by Australian composer Owen Elsley written in collaboration with Gudju Gudju of the Gimuy Walibara Yidinji, the Traditional Owners of Cairns (Gimuy). Boori Gunman is based on a local traditional story about the origin of fire and will be performed in English and Gimuy Walibara Yidinji language by the combined ensembles.
The Sydney concert will be held at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall featuring the GICC, VBC and performing ensembles from the Sydney Children’s Choir. The second concert is at Cairns Convention Centre on Friday, 13 October at 7pm, featuring the GICC, VBC, the Sydney Children’s Choir (SCC), and the combined youth massed local Cairns Songfest Choir, an outreach initiative of Gondwana Choirs.
Tickets: Sydney: $35-99 plus booking fees/ Cairns:$25-89 plus booking fees.
