Indonesian Catholic Youth Organisation Choir and St Thomas More Collegiate Chapel Choir sang together at their mini-concert titled “For The Longest Time” for charity. Photo: Jethrich Lustono.
By Theresia Titus
A collaboration of choirs sang together for a charity mini-concert on 14 October, with the proceeds of more than $2000 raised for two important causes.
The Indonesian Catholic Youth Organisation (ICYO) Choir, together with the St Thomas Collegiate Chapel Choir of St Thomas More College at the University of Western Australia (UWA), performed at last Sunday’s “For the Longest Time” concert at St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco Parish.
Indonesian Catholic Youth Organisation President Jessica Metta Parami speaking at the mini-concert. Photo: Theresia Titus
Speaking to The eRecord, ICYO President Jessica Metta Parami said the choir originally intended to keep their part of the proceeds for the organisation.
However, with the recent earthquake, tsunami, and volcano eruption that have hit Palu in Sulawesi, Indonesia, half of the proceeds will be donated to the victims of the tragedy via the Archdiocese of Jakarta.
Chantalia Tedja and Brenda Chandra, ICYO choristers and the concert’s event coordinators confirmed the destination for the half of the proceeds.
“We were planning to use the ticket sales as funds for ICYO and the choir’s future needs, to run better events and being able to plan better things for our organisation’s future,” Ms Chandra said.
“But the tsunami happened in Sulawesi, and our committee decided to redirect the ticket sales. The tsunami victims need it more than we do.”
The choir members of the two choirs backstage. Photo: Jethrich Lustono.
Speaking at the event, St Thomas More Collegiate Chapel Choir Director Ericius Tan and chorister Justina said their half of the proceeds will be dedicated to providing dental care and education to remote communities in Myanmar.
Mr Tan, along with his other UWA colleagues and a team of doctors and nurses, will travel to Myanmar in early January 2019 for their third mission trip.
“Our Myanmar Dental Mission, called Community Health Initiative and Relational Aid (CHIARA), is finally registered as a charity organisation,” Mr Tan said.
“We are moved by the stories and needs of the Burmese people.”
Mr Tan also thanked the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco who provided the mission opportunities in three remote locations in Myanmar, and dedicate themselves in the education and vocational youth in more impoverished communities in Myanmar.
“This is the reason why after every mission trip, spending time the children, witnessing their lives and learning about their stories, we are challenged and inspired to commit to making small differences in the lives of the young people in Myanmar,” Mr Tan added.
The event was served as a throwback session with songs selected based on the choristers’ favourite tunes sang at the choir’s previous five concerts: “Swara Perdana”, “Gelaran Sembilan”, “Traya”, “Fortissimo”, and “Svara”.
“Our vision for this concert was to invite our previous choir members to rejoin us one more time and also to remember the fun we all had in the past. We are trying to bring that nostalgia within the choir members,” Ms Chandra said.
St Thomas More Collegiate Chapel Choir Director Ericius Tan singing at the mini-concert. Photo: Theresia Titus.
Ms Tedja also explained the collaboration between the two choral groups happened when ICYO music committee was “looking for ideas about assisting parishes in singing for their Mass”.
“We stumbled across a small chapel choir at St Thomas More College, Nedlands, and after reaching out to them we decided to collaborate at Masses monthly, singing together as a collaborative choir at their chapel and later onwards, at St Joseph’s Church Subiaco.
“Both choirs have had interests in performing together at big events, and we successfully held our inaugural collaborative concert in December, and after its success, we were eager to do more,” Ms Tedja said.
The mini-concert concluded with an encore of the song Circle of Life, which instigated a standing ovation from the audience.