The UNITY festival on 2 October at the Murwillumbah Showground is all about celebrating the dance, music, cuisine and culture of the Tweed’s diverse heritage.

The Caldera Artfest at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre from Friday 1 through to Monday 4 October showcases the region’s bio-diversity through photography, paintings, sculpture, films and displays.

The UNITY festival is a colourful mix of rich and diverse cultural influences from the Tweed and Bryon Shires, infused to create an exciting family event.

The theme for this year is Celebrating Diversity.

Deya Dova (pictured) headlines the Echo Main Stage with her bright and energetic mix of Dance, World and Electro with an Indie Pop twist.

Her exotic sound is based upon her extraordinary vocal talent and draws from indigenous influences from around the world and those echoed in her own ancestry.

The Country Energy Dance Stage showcases African, Indonesian, Filipino, Torres Strait Island, Indian and South Sea Island performers dancing in traditional and striking costume.

For the taste buds, the UNITY festival offers a multicultural menu including Indian curries, Indonesian satays, vegetarian gourmets, bush tucker, Maori burgers and North African Gypsy meatballs and kebabs to name a few. Tickets now on sale at: www.unityfestival.com.au.

The 2010 Caldera Artfest is part of a world-wide celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity.

The exhibition at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre showcases the work of artists concerned about the natural environment and promotes awareness of the significant biodiversity values within Australia’s Green Cauldron.

Artwork and associated product sales will generate revenue for specific land-care projects and artists. Entry to the exhibition if free. For more information visit www.calderaart.org.au

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Come and experience true musical magic when Musica Viva Lismore presents the bubbling personalities and virtuosic talents of Genevieve Lacey [recorders] and Karin Schaupp [guitar] in a program that spans from the Renaissance to the present day, from sonatas to folk songs and much more.

Together they have established an enviable reputation both within Australia and internationally.

They have been performing as a duo since 2004 and are highly acclaimed for both for their individual musicianship and the close musical rapport they convey as performers.

• St Mary’s Anglican Church, Norton St, Ballina,
• Thursday, 23 September, 2010
• 7.30pm
• Tickets: Adult $30, concession $25, student [including TAFE & SCU] $15
• From Lismore Music Magellan St [66213105]
• La Boutique, River St, Ballina
• At the door

PICTURE: Karin Schaupp and Genevieve Lacey.

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Adele Johnston [soprano], Rachael Cunningham [soprano], both of whom have performed with Opera Australia and Opera  Queensland, and Estella Roche [piano] will perform sublime melodies by Schumann, Brahms and Chausson, as well as memorable [and sometimes mischievous] music of Dvorak and Saint-Saëns.   

• Lismore City Hall
• FRIDAY, 18 JUNE, 2010  7.30PM
• Tickets from; Lismore Music, 74-78 Magellan St, Lismore [66213105]; La Boutique, River St, Ballina [66862662]; Duck Creek Emporium, Alstonville Plaza; and at the door.
• TICKET PRICES:-  
• Adult $30
• Concession $25   
• Student $15
• Family tickets from NRCAC [66212266]

Student prices apply to school students as well as NRCAC, SCU and TAFE students, on production of student ID.

This concert is being brought to you by Musica Viva Lismore, a dedicated group of volunteers who are committed to bringing top-quality national and international classical music to the Northern Rivers, in association with Northern Rivers Conservatorium Arts Centre.

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It will be music from the sublime to the ridiculous, from Henry VIII to Bach, Purcell, Mozart and Elgar, and a musical setting of the nonsense words of Edward Lear’s Owl and the Pussy Cat.

Acapelicans, based in Ballina, and Spiritsong, based in Bangalow, are mixed voice choirs under the musical direction of local musician, Warren Whitney.

Both choirs sing a range of secular and sacred items covering 400 years of music and perform throughout the Northern Rivers.
Among other works, they have performed Bach’s Peasant Cantata and Sir Charles Wood’s St Mark’s Passion.

Spiritsong’s rendition of Saint Saëns Ave Verum was recorded and played on 4MBSFM, a Brisbane classical music station.

La Fontanella recorder ensemble plays classical and modern items using the whole range of recorders, from the tiny to what look like organ pipes with holes in and need keys to reach the notes!

During its heyday, the recorder was traditionally associated with birds, shepherds, miraculous events, funerals, marriages and amorous scenes.

It was revived in the 20th century, partly in the pursuit of historically accurate performances of early music – the sound is remarkably clear and sweet.

A sound that will enhanced by the acoustics of both churches with their magnificent high-pitched roofs, timber work and stone walls, their small size making the music even more intimate.

• Sunday, 20 JUNE, 2010, 1.30PM St Bartholomew’s Church, Alstonville
• Sunday, 27 JUNE, 2010, 1.30PM, St  Martin’s Church, Mullumbimby.
• Tickets: $10 at the door
• Enquiries 0429 185 361

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A program of musical classics from throughout the ages will be presented.

Included will be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 Allegro, Saint-Saëns Danse Macabre, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar highlights as well as music from JS Bach, and Elgar.

The Tumbler’s Dance by Rimsky Korsakov will see the orchestra double in size as it is joined by a group of student string players, many experiencing the thrill of orchestral playing for the first time.

Lismore Symphony Orchestra, established 2003, is a not-for-profit community organisation aiming to make orchestral music accessible to, and enjoyable for, a broad range of the community.

• Saturday, 29 May at 2.00pm in Lismore City Hall and
• Sunday, 6 June at 2.00pm in Byron Community Centre
• TICKETS: $15 Adults & $10 School age Children
• Lismore – Lismore Music Centre, Magellan St,
• Ballina – La Boutique, River Street,
• Alstonville – Duck Creek Emporium, The Plaza,
• Byron Bay – Nature’s Child, Banksia Dr.
• or At the door if available.
• ENQUIRIES: Ph: 0429185361 Email: lisorch@bigpond.com

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“Each year we give mums something to remember,” said the Resort’s Marketing Manager Holly Galbraith.

“Sara Tindley has performed for our last two Mother’s Day luncheons and we are really looking forward to having Harry Healy this year, he’s an incredible talent”.

Harry has recently performed in Canada and New Zealand and plays at regular venues in Queensland and New South Wales.

With his voice and his guitar he shares his original songs and also pays tribute to the ‘gods’ of music from the 60s through to today.

“Every song should tell a story,” said Harry, “and I like to perform and tell them in my own way, songs from legends like Paul Kelly, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Roger Waters and the Finn Brothers to name a few.”

Mother’s Day luncheon guests will enjoy three tantalising courses from Head Chef Gavin Hughes, who is celebrated for his creative use of local produce. Mothers will receive a flower upon arrival as well as a photo of guests at their table to take home.

Bookings from 12.30pm. Adults $95, under 12 $55, under 3 free. Bookings are essential and mums will be spoilt. Please telephone 6639 2111

Mothers’ Day Menu
- Heartbreads slow proved wood fired bread
- Entree (your choice of)
Tempura Tweed prawns, celeriac remoulade, apple and baby celery leaf salad
Salad of Corella pear, Federal fetta, Spanish ham, organic rocket and aged balsamic
Pithivier of slow braised duck, leek puree and Swiss brown mushrooms
- Main (your choice of)
Alstonville free range chicken, potato gnocchi, roast autumn mushrooms and roasting jus
Roast loin of lamb, braised peas, button onions and smoked Bangalow bacon, salsa verde
Local snapper, organic bok choy, fennel and baby herb salad and a chilli, lime and ginger sauce
Risotto of butternut pumpkin, Tuscan cabbage and Federal Fetta.
- Dessert Buffet (assorted tarts, home made gateaux, cup cake tower, local and imported cheeses, fresh berries and fruits)
- Coffee, tea and petit fours

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The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns.

The format was based on an Order drawn up by Edward White Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for Christmas Eve (24 December) 1880 in Truro, Cornwall.

It has since been adapted and used by other churches all over the world.

The best-known version is broadcast annually from King’s College, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve. It features carols by the famous Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.

People start queuing the night before to attend the King’s College service.

In the best tradition of King’s College, St Andrew’s Anglican Choir and St Carthage’s Cathedral Choir, from Lismore, join forces each year to present a service of Nine Lessons and Carols, annually alternating services between the Catholic Cathedral and St Andrew’s in Lismore, as well as taking it to areas such as Ballina and Mullumbimby.

The service always commences with the carol, Once in Royal David’s City, and then covers a range of traditional carols, as well as some more contemporary works.

It involves some congregational involvement in the singing.

Since 1982, each year King’s College has commissioned a special new work for inclusion in the service and this has resulted in some delectable new Christmas music.

Locally, the music is selected and the choirs prepared by music director and organist Warren Whitney. In 2009 Nine Lessons and Carols will be presented by the combined choirs at:

Friday 18 December, 7.30pm St Mary’s Anglican Church, Norton St, Ballina.

Sunday 20 December, 7.30pm St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore.

Tuesday 22 December, 7.30pm St Martin’s Anglican Church, Mullumbimby.

Other Christmas services will be performed by St Andrew’s Choir:-

• Sunday 6 December, 8.00pm, Carols by candlelight, Bexhill Church of the Good Shepherd.
• Thursday 24 December 8.00pm carol service, Bexhill Church of the Good Shepherd.
• Friday 25 December 7.30am Christmas service, St Andrew’s Anglican Church Lismore.

“We’d love you to join us at any of these services. Attendance is free and you will leave feeling relaxed and refreshed,” a spokeswoman for the organisers said.

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Splendour in the Grass has been working toward establishing a permanent sustainable event venue to stage the festival. The chosen 660 acre North Byron Parklands site at Yelgun in the Byron Shire is undergoing the comprehensive approval process with the NSW Department of Planning for a permanent cultural event venue and will not be ready for next year’s event.

In the meantime and as they approach the 10th anniversary of Splendour In The Grass, organisers today announced the festival will temporarily relocate to Woodford in Queensland, home of the Woodford Folk Festival.

“Woodford Folk Festival and their beautiful site Woodfordia have been a great source of inspiration to us and we feel honoured to borrow their home,” said Jessica Ducrou, organiser of Splendour in the Grass.

“Securing the venue has meant we have been able to confirm dates and we are happy to announce that Splendour’s tenth anniversary event will run over three days, from Friday July 30 to Sunday August 1 2010.”

Mayor Allan Sutherland of Moreton Bay Regional Council said: “We have worked hard to attract this signature celebration of music and culture to Woodford, an area that already has the runs well and truly on the board when it comes to hosting quality music festivals.

“Moreton Bay Regional Council’s prompt endorsement of the event – and eagerness to work with event organisers, the venue owner and the State Government – highlights its desire to create a region that values economic development, lifestyle and unforgettable experiences.
 
“Splendour will be a splendid addition to Moreton Bay region’s many attractions.”

Ms Ducrou said: “We have a great opportunity to grow our event and give people better access to the festival but at the same time keep Splendour In The Grass a unique and personal experience.

“Given the size of the venue we will be able to accommodate almost all festival patrons in camping grounds on-site, giving more people the full festival experience.

“The purpose-built venue also means that we can incorporate a broader range of arts and cultural experiences, which we have been wanting to do for many years.”

Bill Hauritz, Director of Woodford Folk Festival, said: “Having one of Australia’s premier contemporary music events at Woodfordia will be a privilege.

“Splendour is one of the best managed events I have observed, they are responsible, caring and disciplined organisers.

“We can expect the best. We are grateful to the Queensland Government and Moreton Bay Regional Council for their enthusiasm and support, which has enabled Woodfordia to host Splendour in the Grass in 2010.”

Ms Ducrou said: “We will continue to work through the approval process for our permanent home in the Byron Shire.”

Further Festival information will be available in March 2010.

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced the move as a major music coup for Queensland.

The move from Byron Bay to Woodford, north of Brisbane, for next year’s festival is expected to pump millions of dollars into the local economy as it attracts around 30,000 visitors to the region.

“This is great news for Queensland music lovers and locals who will reap the benefits of such a big event,” Ms Bligh said today.

“This is a huge coup for Queensland. It’s a winning combination of festival atmosphere and some of the best music talent around.

“And I can think of no better place than the beautiful surrounds of Woodford, where we have the hugely successful Woodford Folk Festival every year.”

It is estimated that over three days Splendour in the Grass could generate at least $13 million in economic benefits to the local region.

Festival organisers initially approached the organisers of Woodford Folk Festival about the prospect of using the site. After negotiations between State Government, the Moreton Bay Regional Council and event organisers, a two-year contract for the Woodford site was secured.

Ms Bligh thanked the Moreton Bay Regional Council and Mayor Allan Sutherland for helping to secure the event for Queensland.

“Their prompt endorsement of the event – and eagerness to work with event organisers, the venue owner and the State Government – shows they know the importance of generating opportunities to support the local economy and the great way of life for those who live there,” Ms Bligh said.

PICTURE: The Woodford site – home for Splendour in the Grass in 2010.

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The nominees, all graduates of the degree, are Alastair Ford, for Best Music for a Television Series for his work with McLeod’s Daughters; Sean Peter, for Best Children’s Music for The Adventures of Charlotte and Henry; and Yantra de Vilder for Best Music for a Documentary – Rainforest: the Secret of Life.

The Screen Music Awards, in association with APRA (Australasian Performing Rights Association) and the AGSC (Australian Guild of Screen Composers) recognise the talents of Australian music composers’ efforts across 13 categories, including feature films, mini-series, children’s television, advertising, documentaries and short films.

Winners will be announced at a gala reception on November 2 at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney, when an orchestra led by renowned pianist and composer Paul Grabowsky will play Yantra de Vilder’s opening theme music.

Southern Cross University music lecturer and vocal coach Leigh Carriage said she was thrilled to see Bachelor of Contemporary Music students doing so well.

“It shows the depth of knowledge and experience we have within the department to mentor and develop the talents of these promising young musicians and turn out professional graduates ready to take their place on the world stage,” she said.

Composer/lyricist Sean Peter said he was ‘chuffed’ by the nomination.

A multi- award-winning writer/composer, Sean has worked as a sound designer, sound engineer, and composer/lyricist for many leading Australian and overseas arts, TV and theatre companies, including Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Sydney Theatre Company, Company B, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Opera House.

He was the winner of the 2008 AWGIE award for Music Theatre.

Sean, who now lives and works in Hornsby in Sydney’s northern fringe, studied composition at SCU and said he was deeply into amateur theatre throughout his teens – ‘from earnest youth theatre to daggy pantomimes’.

“So I had a really strong theatre background, as well as having done some TV acting as a kid. I worked out I really wasn’t a very good actor just after I finished high school. I think to be a really good actor, you’ve got to want to have drama and conflict in your life, and being someone with only a slight grip on sanity, I thought it’d be best to give it a miss, and so I ploughed into music instead,” he said.

“I actually entered SCU as a vocal major, and was convinced I was going to be the next Michael Hutchence. After two years of that as my major, I switched to composition as it was where my heart actually lay, and I thought that being able to earn a living on graduation would be a good idea!

“I actually played my way through Uni earning money doing a sort of rock piano bar, and when I graduated worked as a keyboard player and MD in a whole lot of concept shows – you know, Blues Brothers, Tom Jones, that kind of dodgy thing.

“These days, I don’t think I could afford the financial and mental insecurity of being a performer, though I did compere and play in a retrospective of my pieces for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the Melbourne International Arts Festival.”

Nominee Alistair Ford has won the APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards for Best Music for a Television Series – McLeod’s Daughters three times previously – in 2003, 2004 and 2007.

This year Alistair has again been nominated for McLeod’s Daughters as well as being nominated in the Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas category.

Yantra de Vilder has just arrived home in Australia from Bangladesh, where she has been composing with the BBC.

Rainforest: the Secret of Life was narrated by actor Jack Thompson and is a film that captures rare and fascinating wildlife sequences, including the mating rituals of lyrebirds and bowerbirds, and explores the intricate web of life that has evolved in our rainforests.

The documentary also led to the recent scientific discovery of the greatest secret of all – how rainforests form part of a vast global system that regulates the world’s climate.

APRA CEO Brett Cottle said: “The annual Screen Awards afford us the opportunity to honour Australian composers’ commitment to their craft: the creative, collaborative and challenging process of composing for the screen. It is an event that shines the spotlight on the quiet achievers of the silver and small screens.”

PICTURE: SCU graduate Sean Peter, one of the nominees for the 2009 Australian Screen Music Awards.

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The initiatives covered greenhouse gas emissions, diversion of waste to landfill and public environmental education.

Over the past five years Splendour has calculated its internal emissions covering artist and crew transport, production, venue electricity and diesel generators, freight and waste.

This year 256.7 tonnes of carbon emissions have been offset through investment in accredited and independently verified wind farm generation carbon credits via Australia’s number one offset provider, Climate Friendly.

“We are delighted to have worked again this year with Splendour in the Grass,” said Freddy Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer of Climate Friendly.

“Climate change is the most important issue facing our generation and Splendour have once again taken a leadership position amongst music festivals by not only measuring and offsetting their own carbon footprint, but also offering their patrons the chance to offset their emissions.”

Splendour patrons were again given the opportunity to offset their average daily emissions over the duration of the event by purchasing a Carbon Offset Ticket, a joint venture with accredited GreenPower supplier Climate Friendly.

Just under 2900 patrons (or 16.5%) purchased these tickets to offset their average daily emissions (154kg/person across the duration of the event).

While this is a reduction on last year’s total of 23%, these patrons offset over 446 tonnes of carbon emissions and invested just over $17,000 in renewable wind farm generation.

“Our Container Recycling System was a huge success, with patrons returning more than a quarter of a million water, soft drink, energy drink and alcoholic beverage containers for recycling,” said Environmental Scientist Mat Morris, Splendour’s Environmental Manager.

“This was an increase of 75,000 containers on the previous year and helped to reduce landfill waste by more than four tonnes.”

As part of the Splendour in the Grass community grants program, $5000 was given to Rainforest Rescue to plant and maintain rainforest trees on land that has been set aside by an innovative Byron Bay macadamia producer.

The property will become a model for other macadamia growers to highlight the benefit of using rainforest species (instead of exotics or scorched earth surround policy) on their properties.

The funds will be used for the initial purchase of rainforest species and for tree guards, stakes and mulching.

Splendour’s Eco Cops, who are predominantly environmental science undergraduates from Southern Cross University, spoke to thousands of patrons about key environmental issues such as climate change, resource conservation and recycling while handing out more than 1000 bin-ya-butt containers. 

“With five years of such innovative environmental initiatives under their belt, Splendour have once again demonstrated their genuine concern for the environment. It is truly heartening to work with such a commited organisation who are prepared to invest so much time, effort and money into reducing their environmental footprint,” said Freddy Sharpe.

PICTURE: Matt Morris at the Splendour in the Grass recycling station.

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