Women in the choir to tour Germany Source: The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir.
Annabel Ross, Aboriginal women’s choir performs baroque hymns in Arrarnta language, The Age, 25 May 2015
They are resplendent in their handcrafted silk batik gowns – which, incredibly, were whipped up a mere three weeks ago – and their voices are even more glorious.
On Monday afternoon, at the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum in Carlton, 31 members of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir gave guests a preview of their upcoming “Boomerang” tour of Germany, kicking off next Saturday in Bayern.
“Australia could not have a better group of ambassadors to represent us,” said the choir’s musical director, Morris Stuart. “By us, I mean all of us, the beautiful rainbow of races that we are – they’ll do us all proud.”
This is Aboriginal singing, but not as you’ve heard it before. In a tradition with a 135-year history, the choir perform German baroque hymns, translated into the traditional Arrarnta language.