University choir extends hand of friendship to Japan

Southern Cross University’s Isabella Acappella choir hopes its gift of music will lift spirits and bring joy to the lives of Japanese people affected by the country’s worst natural disaster.

The group departs Lismore on Friday, June 3, for its seventh friendship tour of Japan.

Choir director Dylan Curnow said through singing traditional and modern harmonies, English and Japanese songs, Isabella Acappella aimed to make ongoing positive cross-cultural connections with a diverse range of Japanese people.

“And with Japan having gone through those experiences with the earthquake and tsunami and all the devastation and economic uncertainty, we’re going to be very welcome,” said Dylan.

“In fact, probably more welcome than we might ordinarily have been.”

Isabella Acappella is comprised of Southern Cross University students, graduates, staff and community members.

The choir established its association with Japan in 2000 when Tazuko McLaren, now the group’s tour coordinator, was raising money to build a Japanese Student Centre at Southern Cross University’s Lismore campus. She hired Isabella Acappella, under the then directorship of Jude Magee, to sing at a function after the booked artists cancelled. She was so impressed with the performance that she invited the group to tour Japan to raise money for the Japanese Student Centre, which on completion, became known as the Father Tony Glynn Japan Australia Centre. Father Glynn was raised in Lismore and is credited with driving the Australian post-war reconciliation movement with Japan and the 1963 establishment of Lismore and Yamato Takada as the first Australian/Japanese sister cities.

Eleven members are making the trip in 2011, the largest friendship tour to date, thanks to generous funding by the Australia-Japan Foundation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Southern Cross University. The Australian Embassy Tokyo has given official support to the 2011 Isabella Acappella Friendship Tour. The choir also has a network of Japanese supporters who provide most of the food and accommodation while on tour, which accounts for at least half the touring expense.

Because of the nuclear problems at Fukushima the choir will remain in southern Japan and not travel any further north than Tokyo.

Despite that, Tazuko McLaren said the schedule of performances was diverse.

“We will be starting the tour by visiting Father Tony Glynn’s nursing home in Nara on the day after we arrive. Then on the 5th of June we will be performing a fundraising concert for earthquake victims in Tokoku at Saidaiji Temple, Nara, with Atsuko Arai,” said Mrs McLaren.

“Other places we will be performing are the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, Tokyo Disneyland, Iron Chef Sakai’s Tokyo French restaurant, a Hiroshima TV morning show, sister city Yamato Takada, many of SCU's sister universities, nursing homes, kindergartens, hospital temples, and churches throughout Japan,” she said.

“Our tour this time will mostly consist of charity concerts for earthquake victims, culminating at the end of our tour in a concert in Saitama for people who have evacuated due to the earthquake.”

Isabella Acappella will also perform at Tokyo University where Southern Cross University’s Professor Baden Offord is completing his 10-month appointment as Visiting Professor in Australian Studies, Centre for Pacific and American Studies.

Along the way the choir is selling copies of its new CD, with 50 per cent of sales helping those in need.

“When we perform at the Australian embassy in Tokyo, we will be presenting relief donations we have collected to the Australian ambassador to Japan, Murray McLean," Dylan said.

Dylan is also looking forward to what has become a special and regular venue on their friendship tours, a series of performances at the Minokamo Cancer Hospital in the Gifu prefecture.

“The hospital’s director Dr Jitsuro Yamada is one of Isabella Acappella’s long term supporters as well as being a world renowned expert in the area of palliative and aged care,” he said.

“Dr Yamada believes in the value of music in health care. He believes it can make a significant contribution to the well-being of cancer sufferers and those in aged care.

“On the 2009 tour we sang for different groups of patients, in all stages of cancer treatment, often in the presence of their families.

“When we sang to patients in the last stages of palliative care we felt privileged to be able to give something that was profoundly appreciated by patients, relatives and staff.

“Music uplifts and inspires and is recognised as a therapeutic tool to calm our spirits particularly if we are facing the end of life.

“Even when there is language barrier music can create a strong connection with others.”

Isabella Acappella’s final gig before departing for Japan is at 7.30 pm Tuesday, May 31, at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore.

Listen to their harmonies www.isabella-acappella.com.au/about/about-isabella-acappella

Photo: Isabella Acappella is set to embark on its seventh friendship tour of Japan.