" Ngaiire "
and Red Hill Community Choir
Everton Park, Brisbane
2 October 2009
"Brisbane Festival with Diane Davies invites you to see Ngaiire in her backyard in Everton Park.
The afternoon will begin with a special performance by the Red Hill Community Choir at 4pm.
Ngaiire is a pioneer of new school soul and, according to John Butler,
someone with 'beautiful harmonies, great songs, sass, sincerity and soul to spare'.
While growing up in Papua New Guinea, Ngaiire listened to the songs of her Grandmother, Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell
– torn between three influences she combined them all to produce her own, sublime sound."
Dot in wheelchair with green bag
Dot had the opportunity to attend this concert in the friendly, casual setting of a Brisbane backyard.
Dot's wheelchair had easy accessibility to the yard. The cost was only $11.50 being subsidized by State Government
and Brisbane City Council funding. It was relaxing, entertaining and novel.
The audience sits on either cushions,
portable chairs or rugs in the cool of the late afternoon, surrounded by trees while up above the sunset changes the colours of the
sky and rainbow lorikeets fly over.
The audience could either bring their own platters and wine or buy healthy food from a small stall.
The introductory group was the Red Hill Community Choir who are an amateur group - anyone can join - and they combine their singing
with movement and also walked through the audience for the final song.
Ngaiire, together with her two back-up vocalists and instrumentalists enhanced the afternoon with beautiful harmonies and rhythms -
creating pure relaxation and enjoyment. The solo instrumentals brought the audience "into the moment" and Ngaiire's voice was
memorable. Clips of her performances can be viewed on "My Space".
The yard was framed by jacarandas in full bloom.
The children attending had access to the backyard play area and could study the chooks.
The jacaranda framing the driveway was beautiful ..
as was the sunset at the end of a wonderful concert.
The "Backyard Concerts", which will be on again next Spring in Brisbane are a unique and inexpensive way to
discover a wide range of music and enjoy other's backyards.