| Cairns Musicalife |
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Mr WETTENHALL (Barron River-ALP) (11.45 am): On 15 August this year I had the great pleasure of attending a concert at the Cairns Civic Theatre. It was a concert of a kind never before staged in Cairns. Three hundred and eighty students from 27 schools in the Far North, from Tully to the Torres What made the event so special was the opportunity it provided for talented musicians of all ages from schools throughout the region to collaborate to form three ensembles of excellence: orchestra, concert band and choir. For many students, it was the first time they had played or sung in an ensemble of this size and for others it was the first opportunity they had ever had to play or sing in an orchestra or massed choir. In rehearsals for the concert, students had access to workshops with professional conductors and music teachers. Many of the works on the program were written or arranged by Queensland or Australian I would like to thank all those music teachers who put the concert together, much of it in their own time, and especially artistic directors Fiona Dunn from Bentley Park College, Lizanne Smith from Cairns State High School and Kevin Scott from Caravonica State School. I would also like to thank special guest conductors Sean O'Boyle and Sandra Milliken. The event was made possible by a grant under the Q150 program and I could not think of a better way to celebrate Queensland's 150th birthday. I table the musical program, together with a list of participating students and schools. Tabled paper: Q150 Program, list of participating schools and list of participating students [815]. I congratulate all participants in Cairns MusicaLife for producing an inspirational concert of exceptionally high standards. I know every student will always remember the night and I sincerely hope that it can become a regular event in the community cultural calendar. |