The afternoon was a celebration story told in song and music.
A story that began 16 years ago.
But in reality, a story that reaches back into the mists of time.
A story of Country, of culture, of language; of an ancient oral tradition that passed on knowledge and lore through thousands of generations.
The Dhungala Children’s Choir (or DCC, as it’s affectionately known) 16th Anniversary Concert was a modern version of this ancient tradition.
Through the words of songs in Yorta Yorta, Wadawurrung and Boon Wurrung languages, we were taken on a journey.
Listening to the words that have echoed down the generations. Words that are now being taught and sung today.
Words that represented survival, determination and still being here.
Formed in 2008, the choir was part of the world premiere of the opera Pecan Summer, the story of the Cummeragunja Walk-Off.
A premiere held back in October 2010 in the same theatre in Mooroopna.
It was a familiar story for many, but for others, it was opening a door into an unknown history.
The walk-off was the first Aboriginal mass protest and the culmination of a long history of efforts by Traditional Owners to reclaim their traditional lands and live self-sufficiently.
Residents of ‘Cummera’, as it was known, decided they had had enough of the appalling conditions — minimal rations, poor sanitation, cramped living conditions and high rates of diseases such as tuberculosis and whooping cough. This, coupled with the harsh treatment by the then manager, led to the decision of many to leave, crossing the Dungala into Victoria.
Families settled on an area between Mooroopna and Shepparton, now known as ‘The Flats’.
Pecan Summer is a story that the creator and composer, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, describes as “an opera for the 21st century, a contemporary opera for Indigenous Australians, a story for all Australians”.
A story we should all know and understand.
And DCC were, and still are, an integral part of its telling through music and song.
So, with this legacy, the Anniversary Concert invited us all to take a journey over the past 16 years. To share highlights — performances at the Sydney Opera House, The Playhouse and Hamer Hall at Melbourne’s Art Centre and performing with Uncle Archie Roach on his Let Love Rule album, among many others.
To watch, as over the years, the faces of the choristers changed and matured. As new members joined and others left.
Until we came to now -— and there was the choir on stage, ready to perform for us.
Ready to share their tradition of singing culture.
With a backdrop of artworks by Ally Knight, Minjarra Atkinson, Tina King, Aunty Rochelle Patten, Steve Parker and BJ O’Toole, all adding to the stories about to be told.
Images featured in the newly released Dhungala Choral Connection Song Book Vol 2.
Then we settled in for some beautiful singing.
An acknowledgment in the song of all those who are, and have been, yenbena baparra banarrak — long time living here.
An invitation in Woiwurrung to come with purpose. To come with an open heart, ready to listen, to hear and to learn.
Interwoven between the songs, Deborah Cheetham took us on small journeys, sharing backgrounds to songs and introducing those on stage, acknowledging their achievement and their commitment to their craft.
The power of the questions posed in the song Do you know me? resonated in the theatre. A question posed for us to deeply consider.
I know you, but do you know me?
When you hear the word Aboriginal
Tell me, what do you see?
Do you see you
Or do you see me?
The strength of the words reflecting identity, a sense of place and deep connection.
I belong to this land
It belongs to me
My culture is strong
My ancestors were free
Pride and the nourishing power of culture.
The beautifully lyrical Birrama Mana – a story about Biyala, the ancient river red gum, home to the magpie and the crow.
And so it went on, as we listened to stories in ancient languages sung by young people proudly stepping into this tradition in a modern way.
But there was something more — telegraphed by the empty chairs on the other side of the stage.
The choir was joined by Ensemble Dutala — Australia’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander chamber ensemble — and friends under the baton of Nicolette Fraillon and led by viola player Aaron Wyatt, adding another dimension to the concert.
As DCC can provide a pathway for young singers, so Ensemble Dutala — meaning ‘star-filled sky’ in Yorta Yorta language — offers a pathway to a career as a classical musician.
Supporting the idea of ‘If you can see it, you can be it’.
This is the real backstory to the concert.
This is where Short Black Opera comes in. As a not-for-profit opera company, Short Black Opera specialises in training and performance opportunities for talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing artists.
It works to break down barriers, to support participation and to provide a First Nations voice in the classical music world.
And here in Mooroopna, we were experiencing a coming together of two parts of this important work: the Dhungala Children’s Choir and Dutala Ensemble.
And what a beautiful coming together this was.
Talented musicians and singers sharing ancient cultural traditions in a modern way.
As we left with the Dhungala Choral Connection Song Book Vol 2 clutched tightly under the arm, there was a moment of reflection on what a special, uplifting celebration of music, culture and stories the 16th Anniversary Concert had been.
To find out more about Short Black Opera, Dhungala Children’s Choir or Dutala Ensemble, visit SBO (shortblackopera.org.au)
To purchase a copy of the Dhungala Choral Connection Song Book Vol 2, visit Songbook — SBO (shortblackopera.org.au)