By CASEY NEILL
A NEW Dandenong choir will be hitting all the right notes with audiences – even those who can’t hear a word.
Wallara has established a ’sing and sign’ choir with help from The Auslan Company’s Darren Roberts, who’s been teaching the national sign language to staff at the disability service over the past three years.
After last year’s Wallara annual concert, Mr Roberts volunteered to teach clients to sing and sign one or two songs at this year’s event.
“Not everyone wants to sign, so there will be some people singing and some people signing,” Mr Roberts said.
“Combined, it will be a visually entertaining choir.
“Audiences will get to see a range of people with disabilities showcasing their ability, and hopefully appreciate the effort that the choir has made in coming together and performing cohesively.”
Year 9 and 10 students from The Peninsula School will join the choir on stage at the Wallara concert, at Monash University’s 1200-seat Robert Blackwood Hall on 30 November.
Wallara CEO Phil Hayes-Brown said the group included members from aged care facility Eunice Seddon, Wallara service users and staff, families and carers.
“It’s a very inclusive, mixed group,” he said.
“We’re all about social inclusion.”
Mr Hayes-Brown hopes they’ll perform at community functions around the area and encourages bookings.
He also urged more people to join and said the group was seeking a choir master to lead it.
It will rehearse for one hour every second Wednesday afternoon at Wallara’s Potter Street site in Dandenong to learn two or three songs, including Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful Word – and there are free scones on offer.
No sign language skills are required. Call 9792 2985 to get involved.
