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THE seventh annual Sapphire Coast Learning Community (SCLC) Performing Arts Festival drew crowds of over 500 people for each of its two performance nights this week.
Festival organiser and principal of Candelo Public School Suezanne Bourke said the event was yet again a success, featuring students of all ages from 16 public schools of all sizes along the Far South Coast.
“It’s all about teachers working together and students collaborating, which is great for the high schools and the smaller schools,” Ms Bourke said after the Tuesday and Wednesday performances.
“Watching over 130 students sing in the combined choir and 45 students in the combined recorder group was just amazing.
“In fact the recorder group will be playing at the Festival of Instrumental Music at the Sydney Opera House next Monday,” she said.
Ms Bourke said other highlights over the two nights festivities included the performing arts festival band’s finale, Eden Public School’s Indigenous dancing under the tutelage of elder Uncle Warren Foster and a dance piece by Quaama Public School with the theme of monsters and nightmares.
“Students from Bega High School put together Royals by Lorde at the last minute to fill in after a student had to pull out at rehearsal,” she said, impressed with the students’ use of initiative.
The small schools pupils’ use of imagination and originality were also a highlight of the night, Ms Bourke said.
“Towamba, Tanja and Wyndham Public Schools got together just a few times and the students were able to write both the music and the lyrics to put an original composition together,” she said.
“There was also a great musical item performed by Wolumla Public School based on the chimney sweep scene from the Mary Poppins film.
“It was fantastic, two absolutely wonderful nights,” Ms Bourke said.