Alice Chance – September 2014
I’m sitting cross-legged on the carpet amongst a pool of colourful pages. My headphones are on, my fingers are treading cautiously on the keyboard and I think I might be humming. The air-conditioning gently hums back to me in this warm, cosy room at the Baradine Tattersails Hotel. In a town where the population is less than 600, the residents certainly make up in warmth that which they lack in number. Julie, from the hotel, never fails a cheerful morning greeting between feeding the roosters and getting her grandchildren off to school. Narelle, from Freckles the coffee shop, cooks mountains of delicious food and knows exactly when you need a cup of tea. But I’m not here for a ‘quaint rural experience’. I’m here to work alongside some of the greatest talent in the country. Many of whom are still at school.
The Moorambilla festival has been taking place in Coonamble, (7 hours north west of Sydney), for the past nine years. I’m privileged enough to have been Composer in Residence for Moorambilla Voices for the last two. The young members are divided into a boys and girls choir, participants are aged 8-11, and they come from the most remote parts of NSW (where music education is basic or not even offered). The process begins in August when over 100 young music enthusiasts march into Baradine for the a week of rehearsal. The day consists of intensive sessions learning new Australian choral music, most of which has been commissioned by fearless leader, Michelle Leonard. My experience begins a day prior: an entertaining, 7 hour car trip with hilarious accompanist Ben Burton. But in the back of my mind there’s this lingering worry. I haven’t pre-written any music. I have no ideas. Are they going to arrive in time?
Amidst learning Australian choral music and movements from Queensland Ballet’s Jacob Williams, the kids of Moorambilla Voices still had a chance to talk to me about the pieces I would write for them. One for the girls, one for the boys and one combined piece with the Song Company. You can tell they realise that even kids in big cities would rarely get the chance to do this: contributing to music written especially for them, and singing with the Song Company! We were all a bit star struck. I was given permission to use Pallah-Pallah, the story of how the opal came to be, an Aboriginal story as told by June Barker. The choristers wrote me poetry and drew me pictures inspired by the story. Their creativity never failed to blow me away. So here I am, sitting in my room at the pub. It’s late, and the choristers need something to sing tomorrow.
I’m not thinking about the festival in September, where incredible artists such as Taikoz, Kirsten Williams, Christina Leonard and the Song Company perform alongside Moorambilla Voices. I’m not thinking about the month until then where I must orchestrate all my music for a chamber ensemble. I’m not thinking about that sense of warmth when you see how long the queue of parents and local Coonamble residents is to watch the Gala concert. I’m not thinking about Michelle’s incredib leadership, musicality and vision she displays in between rushing off to feed her 1 year old. I’m just thinking about composing. And just like that, an idea comes.
