The NSW Governor, Marie Bashir, described the performance as the most overwhelming she had seen at the Sydney Opera House in 35 years, and it was the highlight of artistic director Michelle Leonard’s career so far.
The stunning performance by the Moorambilla Voices choir last Wednesday at the Sydney Peace Prize Lecture completely wowed the audience and all involved.
The 50 boys and girls in the choir, under Michelle’s inspiring artistic direction, filled the Concert Hall at the opera house with energy, excitement and a love for their land.
Through pieces such as Baiame’s Ngunnhu, composed for the choir this year describing the creation of Brewarrina’s ancient fish traps; Emu Blues, composed by Michelle and the boys this year; Al Shlosha D’Varim, about truth, peace and justice in the world and Inanay, a traditional aboriginal song, the spirit of western NSW and its people shone through.
The Sydney Peace Prize is Australia’s only international peace prize.
The Sydney Peace Foundation awards the prize to individuals who make inspiring contributions to promoting peace with justice. Some key figures who have received the award since its inception in 1998 include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Xanana Gusmao, Sir William Deane, Arundhati Roy and Dr Hans Blix.
The peace prize this year was awarded to Patrick Dodson - honoured for his courageous advocacy of human rights for all Indigenous people, his leadership in the reconciliation movement and commitment to peace through justice.
Aboriginal artists Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter performed prior to Mr Dodson’s lecture and Moorambilla Voices closed the evening. Patrick addressed the children afterwards encouraging them to use their gift to lead the next generation forward.
For Michelle Leonard, “it was the culmination of three years work, and belief in their capacity, realised on stage”. The choristers, including nine from the Coonamble Shire, thrived on the 4 day tour which involved meeting Moorambilla friends and travelling to Sydney together, an exciting ferry trip to Manly, dinner in Chinatown, rehearsing in a beautiful old school and the honour and privilege of standing on that enormous stage in the Concert Hall before thousands of people. Barefoot, bright and brazen they rose to the challenge and executed themselves professionally.
The Sydney Peace Prize Tour has taken the Moorambilla Voices regional children’s choir to a new level and has significantly raised the awareness of people who are advocating positive change in rural and remote communities.