Art & Music

Just as early German missionaries travelled north from Bethany to Ntaria, so the Ntaria Choir set off, this time, southward-bound to the Barossa Valley to share their gifts of music and language.

With the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) document in hand and copies of the RAP poster, Marilyn Wall returned to Central Australia in October. The purpose of her visit was to discuss how best to share this information with the Aboriginal members in the Lutheran communities.

Art conservator Eric Archer is working on a project to unframe, photograph, document and prepare 18 watercolour paintings for new museum-standard mounts and frames.

Pastor Rodney and I visited for Pepa (devotions) only late yesterday, but the lady asked, ‘Can you come again tomorrow afternoon?’

On 5 April, Pantjiti Unkari McKenzie from Docker River was presented with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) by the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Her Honour the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran AM.

Every Thursday the Aboriginal ladies from the Alice Springs Lutheran Congregation meet at the church for Bible study and choir practice. They are known as the Mission Block Choir (or Kwatja Etatha).

The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir has received a Special Achievement Award at the recent National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs).

A portrait of Docker River Lutheran Beryl Bell entitled ‘Beryl and Jesus’ has won this year’s  $10,000 Australian Life photography prize. Amy Jean Harding took the photo of Beryl in April 2016.

The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir (CAAWC) has been invited to perform at the Serenade! International Choral Festival to be held in Washington DC USA from 28 June – 2 July 2018.

The 6 August 2017 marked the world premiere of a new film about the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir entitled The Song Keepers.