Newport Bush Orchestra - Learning, Playing and Enjoying on Monday Night in Newport

 Another night of lovely music with Greg O'Leary and the NB).  Click Newport Bush Orchestra to see pics of the musos deep in concentration.

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Andre de Quadros visits Newport Community Choir

This week the Newport Community Choir was lucky enough to have eminent conductor and music educator Andre de Quadros visit and be our 'guest conductor' for one rehearsal. Andre certainly challenged us with a tricky body-percussion routine, overlaid on our familiar repertoire song Sylvie. He also taught us a new song and led us through an improvisation activity, something we've only touched on briefly before. The hour and a half simply flew by! A great opportunity to expand our musical horizons. Thanks so much to Andre for fitting us into his busy schedule!

Choir at Theme Night

As usual the Newport Community Choir took to the stage (well, the floor actually as the stage is too small) for a couple of songs at the Live@Newport Theme Night. They wowed the audience with the Leadbelly classic Sylvie and Erskine Hawkins' Tuxedo Junction. This was the first time the choir had performed without Alan Davies conducting; Alan had another gig that night so Kathryn Tomkins took his place and did a great job. Congratulations Kathryn!

Newport Community Choir singing for World Migratory Bird Day 2014

Newport is situated in a wonderful environment where industry and people jostle for space. Over the past two decades we have learned, and council has responded, to the needs of urban wildlife and the link between their survival and habitat. Our wetlands and tidal flats play an important role in the lives of many species of migratory birds many of whom travel between here and Siberia every year. This year the Newport Community Choir joined with 86 other groups around the world in celebrating and raising awareness of the migratory birds: think Algeria, Denmark, Mongolia, Tunisia, Ukraine,
Madagascar ... just to name a few.

We decided to single out the work of a Friends Group who were planting on WMBD and treated them to a Flash Mob. The look on the faces of the Newport Lakes Friends Group when we appeared with our banner over the crest of the hill singing about the flight of the Eastern Curlew, was a sight to behold. Particularly lovely that there were children there.

Newport Lakes and the NFFC enjoy a warm relationship; every year the Newport Bush Dance is held in the park, so it was even more fitting that this was the particular group we chose to honour on this special day.

Learn more about our Choir HERE
World Migratory Bird Day HERE

Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Old Laverton School 3 May 2014

Nothing if not versatile! NFFC Storyteller Jackie Kerin and Alan Davies (Newport Community Choir) joined forces to recreate an assembly as part of the celebrations of the old one-teacher Laverton school.

Opened in 1888, Jackie and Alan dressed for the part and had great fun slipping across time zones and evoking memories of school milk, vaccinations and even snake bite. The flag was raised, anthem sung and oath sworn ( the boys saluting and the girls with hands on hearts). Alan's conducting skills were tested as he led the assembled through a rousing version of 'Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree'. The 'class' proved so capable, he then went on to attempt a round! They were pretty good, considering most of the 'students' probably hadn't sung in this way for over 40 years!

Jackie demonstrated the old art of string storytelling and then told a story about that Irish bushranger who had been hanged just 8 years before the school was opened.

The Old Laverton School is a beautiful acoustic venue if you are looking for a place to make music: HERE

Greg O'Leary and the NBO - The Rhythm of Newport

Greg and the Bush Orchestra having a lovely play on Monday night - all sounds terrific, some new people, new tunes and lots of good energy.  After the success of their busking gig in Willy they are set to kick of the festival in July with the opening night jam session.  If you have a yen to play, come along one night and see how it all works, and why it has continued now for more than 8 years.  Playing music together is definitely one of life's simple pleasures.