Dear Scattered People companeros,
Thank you to those of you who, sensing our sensing our anxieties surrounding the desire to take the healing power of music into places where people are hurting, contacted us and wished us well prior to our visit.
We felt very welcomed into the Detention Centre by staff and ‘residents’ yesterday for our first Scattered People venture – representing all of you.
People gathered, spoke freely with us – they used Farsi, we used Australian – somehow we seemed to understand the essentials with one another. Our initial trepidations vanished as they clapped along to our first demonstration song ‘Need One Another’ and then joined with enthusiasm and laughter into Yani’s fun-based vocal warm-ups. The men unfortunately had a previous appointment with the Department of Health and had to leave (reluctantly it seemed). Yani quickly identified sopranos, altos, tenors and basses and guided us all into an a-capella rendition of Thuma Ma Mina (Give Us Strength). This week it sounded surprisingly good. Next week as the harmonies become more settled, it will be beautiful. People were looking at one another seemingly surprised at the sounds we were collectively making. SERCO staff stopped what they were doing and listened. They too were surprised (they expressed to me) at the warmth and good feeling being generated. One of the ladies from Iran spoke through the interpreter “this singing is taking me into a new place and helps me forget for a while all of my troubles”. Simon then introduced the Scattered People African-based track ‘Precious Water’ – out of the seats, bodies started to move and sway as the rhythms embraced all of us. The Farsi interpreter was highly skilled and was not only able to interpret language but also conveyed the humour – intrinsic to Yani’s style of conducting. Laughter we realised , like music, has a universality about it. Read More