Trekkers on Kokoda are often amazed to hear the beautiful music
coming from the porters at night. Often a porter group will come with
small ukeleles that they strum at every opportunity.
Their singing is quite glorious. The fact is that most porters come from
villages and are Seventh Day Adventist. That means they harmonize in
three parts. They sing like fuzzy wuzzy angels with wings.
At Isurava battlefield, the reputable trekking groups conduct a short
memorial service gathered on the steps leading to the memorial. Then
the angels open up with a hymn. It sends a shiver down the spine.
I have always thought that an enterprising trekking company would set
up a choir that recorded music and came to the ANZAC remembrance
ceremonies in Australia
a hit on Australian TV.
Money earned could help the porters in the off season and perhaps pay
for school fees. It would be good if trekking companies organized that
any porter who trekked for say five (5) years could apply for schooling
sponsorship.
Trekkers usually sound like a herd of billy goats bleating. Singing is not
an Australian forte except when the boys are drunk. Often I arrange for
groups from villages to come to sing to trekkers for a small donation to
their church. Villagers know what is coming when they see me in the
group.
At ends of performances, trekkers may at times be nudged into singing
Advance Australia Fair. It is so …how will I say?
“Australian….(mumble) may we all rejoice for we are young and free.
(Mumble) (mumble) our homes are girt by sea. (mumble) (mumble),”
Time to sit down.
Villagers have heard it all before. This is the Australian mumble song.
Trekking groups should have our national anthem on the back of their
brochure.
The dark-skinned races have a glorious sense of music. I will never
forget the Zulu song “The Hymn for Africa ” that has beautiful harmony
and is a treasure of the planet.
It reflects the joy of living though the Zulu do not have that joy in daily
life. The song was sung in the movie “Cry Freedom” at the funeral of
Steve Biko in the football stadium.
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