Members of Djinama Yilaga gift the song Ganbi to Indigenous children at Bermagui Primary School.
Left to Right: Michelle Davison, Maria Walker, Cheryl Davison (Four Winds Aboriginal Creative Producer), Iris White, Reike Campbell, Tamsin Davison
A very special event has taken place in Bermagui Primary School. The gift of a new song Ganbi has been made from Four Winds Koori Choir ‘Djinama Yilaga’ to the Indigenous children at the school.
The song calls to all our family in nature; country, trees, birds and animals to be vigilant and look out for approaching fire.
Lou and the Choir worked with linguist Trish Ellis to identify language for the song from a newly developed Dhurga dictionary. The process resulted in a song which is a direct response to the bush-fires. It also brought great joy to members of the Choir as they reconnected with their language. Like all good songwriters they hope the song will move audiences because of the significance of how, when and why it was created.
The song has been gifted by members of ‘Djinama Yilaga’ to Indigenous children in Bermagui Primary School so that they can learn and perform the song at the forthcoming Four Winds Youth Music Festival in November. Once the Indigenous children have learned it, they will gift Ganbi to the whole school so that everyone can learn and sing the song together.
Sonja Lifschitz will perform Robert Davidson’s ‘Stalin’s Piano’ at the Windsong Pavilion in October.
Four Winds | Performances
We have adapted our forthcoming live performance program to ensure that live music will once again flow from Four Winds as we head into Spring.
Restrictions allowing, we hope to welcome audiences in small numbers to the Windsong Pavilion. We will also create digital content from the performances and make that available on-line after the event. So even if you are not able to attend in person you will still be able to see some wonderful musicians performing at Four Winds.
We are planning a season of three Windsong Series concerts. For obvious reasons there are still some details to iron out but our plans include welcoming Timo-Veikko Valve, Principal Cello of the Australian Chamber Orchestra; pianist Sonja Lifschitz with her amazing project ‘Stalin’s Piano’ in which the original virtuosic score for solo piano by Robert Davidson melds with orations from the likes of Bertolt Brecht, Goebbles, JFK, Ai Wei Wei, Stalin, Sontag, Gillard and Trump – all of whom appear on screen throughout the performance. The Windsong Series will also feature a visiting ensemble – yet to be announced! Joy at Christmas will be brought to you by the stunning, youthful voices of professional chamber choir ‘Luminescence’ planned for 19 December 2020.
We will have very limited tickets on sale for these events to ensure social distancing, so please watch your inbox for updates and ‘on-sale’ dates.
Spring Youth Music Festival
Our Youth Music Festival is fast approaching in November. All being well, two days of the Youth Festival will take place in local schools, led by our amazing team of inspirational Musicians-In-Schools, who are currently bringing the joy of singing and percussion into 5 local primary schools.
We are not holding public concerts over the weekend of the Youth Festival but will be filming performances by our amazing young musicians and making these available on-line later in November for everyone to marvel at and enjoy.
You’ll be able to see a performance of Ganbi on-line, as well as performances from the Bega Valley Youth Choir who will sing Tiny Movements (Gordon Hamilton) and a newly commissioned song from composer Dan Walker. The world premiere of a work by composer Matthew Laing, who was resident in Bermagui during May and June as a guest of many members of the community, will be performed at the Youth Festival.
Four Winds is committed to providing opportunities and support for musicians and composers at this challenging time. One example of this is through the commissioning of works such as the songs and compositions which will be premiered at the Youth Festival.
Wonderful news…
Four Winds has been successful in securing four-year funding from Create NSW. This is a huge validation of our work as a year-round arts organisation and is the first time Four Winds will receive recurrent funding from either State or Federal funders. Four Winds was one of only 11 music organisations funded, out of just 58 successful applicants across all artforms, so this is a great achievement. The funding means we can plan our artistic program further ahead and emerge from Covid stronger and more resilient.
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