Ten months in the making resulted in ten days of free live music in Adelaide CBD to usher in Christmas.
The clever creatives at Slingsby, Novatech, and the team at Rundle Mall Management gave so many local artists a stage upon which to share the joy of music-making with others.
In the season of giving, there is nothing I enjoy more than to relax into the Christmas season with an instrument and to sing. Music is so much better when it is shared.
While shoppers were frantically going about their hustle, on stage I felt a sense of calm with my guitar and my trusty bass guitarist, Jakub, by my side.
Since the 15th of December, a number of fantastic musicians have graced the Voices Of Christmas (VOC) showcase stage, and the entertainment will continue until Christmas eve. This production was no ordinary feat. It involved over 30 choirs and over 500 voices from across South Australia.
A custom-made stage was constructed in Gawler Place, complete with a projector, which showcased the choirs recorded by Novatech. Award-winning singer, Ricki-Lee (Music Ambassador) launched the program on the 14th December, and though I never got to meet her personally, I’m a fan of her soulful singing.
There were twelve Christmas carol arrangements by Carl Crossin (OAM) that the artists had the opportunity to sing against on stage while accompanied by the “virtual choir”. I was grateful to be booked in for four sets across the ten days of music programming.
From the array of Carl’s arrangements I chose to sing the John Lennon classic, So This is Christmas (War Is Over). It never ceases to amaze me how music, combined with modern technology, can bring so many disparate souls together; and for the duration of this song, I felt a special connection to the many musicians across South Australia who appeared on the screen behind me.
Nothing beats getting paid to do what I love most – to perform. Not only did I get to play music, I got to work with an excellent team of creatives including Andy Packer (Artistic Director) whose unique vision continually inspires me. Choirs as far as Port Augusta were featured in this production and you can learn more about what went on behind the scenes here.
I also bought a new Mini Maton guitar to accompany me on my sabbatical year, which I affectionately named Joni. I got to perform with it during my last Voices Of Christmas set. Here she is being christened by Cameron Goodall side stage after our gig.
Johanna Allen and Cameron Goodall hosted the program and it was lovely to get to know them both a bit better after hearing so many great things about them through mutual friends in the industry.
Both Cameron and Johanna were so gracious and friendly despite their many achievements, and it is so nice to work with creatives who are modest.
Our Stage Manager and Sound Engineer, Stephanie and Alex respectively, supported us and made the whole experience so enjoyable through their professionalism and good humour.
I enjoyed premiering my latest original song, Compass, on the VOC stage. The first time I performed it live was on the 15th of December and I was pleased with the feedback from the audience. Speaking to patrons off-stage afterwards was affirming, as many of them showed their appreciation for mine and Jakub’s work.
Thank you to everyone who stopped and watched our sets on the showcase stage over the past week, and thank you to the brilliant creative team who made Voices Of Christmas possible.
