Celtic tunes will go country as local musicians combine for a concert to help drought-stricken farmers.
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So committed are the members of Sing Australia to raising as much money as possible for the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners that the 100-member choir are paying $10 each for the privilege of performing at the Celtic Concert next month, and everyone else involved is donating their time.
“Our members love nothing better than to be able to give back to communities in need of help. We really are hoping to make this a memorable concert and provide much needed support to the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners as they head north with the hay,” said Sing Australia’s Carolyn Priddle.
The Sing Australia choir will join forces with the Little Brass Band and a bagpiper for a Celtic program at Neil Street Uniting Church featuring modern and traditional songs from Scotland and Ireland.
“Our Celtic program is full of old favourites as well as more modern ones and there is an opportunity for everyone to join in singing classics they know so well,” Ms Priddle said.
“Part of the ethos of our group is to support the community … to raise money for a good cause and we’ve held fundraising concerts after floods, fires and the Nepal earthquake.”
While there are no admission costs, the singers and musicians hope to “raise the spirits of the audience as they dig deep into their pockets to raise money for farmers in need”.
Money raised from the concert will be donated to the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, a volunteer organisation which has coordinated at least 13 deliveries of donated hay worth more than $6 million to farmers in NSW and Queensland struggling in the drought.
Hay is donated from generous farmers all over Australia, and funds raised are used to fuel the trucks that transport the hay. Hundreds of trucks take part in each convoy.
Choir conductor Marilyn Kent hoped the historic Neil Street Uniting Church would be “filled to the rafters” for the concert which will also feature a singalong as well as a program of performed numbers.
The concert will be held on Sunday October 14 at 2.30pm at Neil Street Uniting Church. Admission by donation.
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