Street voices soar

AN AUDIENCE of more than 200 people was moved by the soaring voices of massed choirs during Saturday’s performance of Street Requiem at the Cranbourne Community Theatre.
Street Requiem was composed by Kathleen McGuire, Andy Payne and Jonathon Welch as a tribute to those who have died on the street.
Mr Welch said he conceived Street Requiem to bring a sense of peace, remembrance and hope to communities struggling to come to terms with street violence, war and loss of community safety.
Berwick-based Voices of Casey was the host choir and sang I Dreamed a Dream from Le Miserables.
Casey’s sister choir the Latrobe Valley Community Choir then sang an arrangement of Bridge Over Troubled Waters.
Both choirs were then joined by a massed choir featuring members of Western Health and THE CHO!R to sing the remaining songs in the first half of the concert.
All four choirs are associated with the School of Hard Knocks.
Voices of Casey manager Paulien George said Street Requiem was a “huge success”.
“Many of the members of the audience commented that they were so pleased to see a concert of this calibre come to Melbourne’s south east and be performed during the daytime and over a weekend, Ms George said.
Voices of Casey has 50 members and practices under the musical direction of Jonathon Welch each Monday at Fiddlers Green Retirement Village in Berwick.
Anyone interested in joining at choir can contact Paulien on 9769 8611 or email maritimes.1@hotmail.com.