Category Archive: Illawarra Folk Festival

Illawarra Union Singers 2015 Illawarra Folk Festival gig this year consisted of a Tribute to Gough Whitlam on the Saturday with various artists performing and reminiscing about Whitlam’s life. This was finished with a performance of Its Time sung by the audience and Illawarra Union Singers who were accompanied on guitar by Arthur Rorris.
AT the Union concert on the Sunday the Illawarra Union Singers sang:
16 Tons (Merle Travis) Led by Douglas McPherson
Bandiera Rossa led by Sarah Lambert followed by another rendition of Its Time

Earlier this year the man who “helped create the modern American folk music movement and co-wrote some of its most enduring songs such as “If I Had a Hammer, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” died of natural causes” Pete Seeger was his name and the Illawarra Union Singers were invited along to an Illawarra Folk Festival gig to help celebrate his life.

George Mann from New York leading the show along with Maurie Mulheron and others took turns providing a great night’s singing and history of Pete Seeger.

Mystery performers on the night were the audience and they did a good job too.

We sang We Shall not Give up the Fight, Walk On, and Shelter. And then with the combined choir we sang Stand Together, Bring out the Banners, Tolpuddle Man, Power in the Union, and Solidarity.

These courtesy of Margo McLaughlin, with thanks!

Illawarra Union Singers joined with the Newcastle People’s Chorus, and the Sydney Trade Union Choir in an hour long concert of rousing and poignant songs at the Folk Festival. We had a full house and audience joined in some of the songs and cheered the rest.

We sang 3 songs each and then 4 all together. Of the joint songs, I conducted “4 Strong Women” (acknowledging the song’s author Maurie Mulheron who was in the audience), and “Coal Seam Gas” (which I arranged to go with words by Ainslie Lamb). They sounded great, and hearing Coal Seam Gas sung with 60 voices, and so well balanced across the parts – a total delight. I was pretty pumped!

Illawarra did themselves proud with our version of “Walk On”, dedicated to the indigenous people of the Illawarra, and also acknowledging John Littrich who was also in the audience. Our version of Eric Bogle’s “Singing the Spirit Home” was very beautiful, and our short rousing finale of “Mnogaja Ljeta” got everybody cheering.

Here we are in the grandstands rehearsing – all 3 choirs together. Sounded great!!

This is the third year I’ve been involved in this and I think the combined sound gets better every year. Maurie congratulated me on how good Illawarra sounded and has improved, which meant a lot to me. Thanks everybody for your continued hard work.