Our Primary Faculty Coordinator and Junior School Librarian, Lucy Armstrong spent much of her term break working to support the 53,000 Australian homeless women, contributing to Mission Australia's latest campaign designed to address this societal issue.
Lucy and a team of volunteers recorded a track at ABC Studios in September. Utilising the insights of Dr Gillian Eastgate, the song was originally conceived as a media publicity campaign to raise awareness about increasing need during the cost of living and housing affordability crisis. The project was directed by Stan Ghys, who also assembled the choir from singers across Australia, with a group of budding composers from a Festival Of Voices songwriting workshop, Paul Jarman refining the composition and conducting the choir, Suze Pratten and Lucy Armstrong assisting with rehearsals, Paul Jarman and Stewart Peters (Soundshed Music) being the musicians and producing the final mix.
Our teachers are an incredibly community-minded bunch, and we feel very proud of all of them.
Thank you Lucy for using your talents in this way and making such a wonderful contribution to our society.
Donations can be made here: https://act.missionaustralia.com.au/make-this-right
World-Renowned Composer, Doctor and Choirs Unite for Song Supporting Homeless Women – Aiming to Raise $1 Million for charity
A powerful new song highlighting the growing crisis of homeless women in Australia will be launched on October 11, (following WORLD HOMELESS DAY on October 10), at a special community event in Marrickville, Sydney.
The song is called “Homeless” and with the lyrics “Stand up, speak up, don’t give up the fight. Working together, we can make things right.”
Their target is to raise $1 Million for Mission Australia via their fundraising page, which showcases the music video at tinyurl.com/MakeThingsRight
Sydney-based musician and volunteer Stan Ghys said “I will never forget meeting an elderly woman with whipped cream on her face, initially thinking it funny, then realising she was homeless and had just found something to eat in a rubbish bin. I want to encourage people to unite in helping others less fortunate”.
Stan rallied 35 singers from across Australia to record the work at ABC Studios. They wanted to shine a light on the alarming statistics affecting women across the country:
- According to the 2021 census, more than 53,874 women were experiencing homelessness
- Over 405,000 older women are at risk with financial stress being the leading cause. They often earn less and lack superannuation while raising children, while the cost of living is increasing.
- Domestic and family violence remains the leading cause of homelessness for younger women. In 2023-24, over 105,000 people needed specialist homelessness services following domestic and family violence.
The song was originally conceived by Dr Gillian Eastgate, a clinical doctor who often works with people experiencing homelessness. Dr. Eastgate further developed the idea during a songwriting workshop run by internationally acclaimed composer Paul Jarman, during Tasmania’s Festive of Voices, with other participants also contributing to the lyrics and melody.
Paul Jarman is recognised worldwide for his work as a composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist. His composition Pemulwuy was performed at London’s Royal Festival Hall during the 2012 Olympics, and his piece Thank You Martin Luther King was sung by the Boston City Singers at the White House for President Barack Obama.
Paul said “It’s been a pleasure to work with such a wide range of people from the Australian community and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in support of homeless women. Like the lyrics say, working together, we can make things right”. Paul also collaborated with Stewart Peters (Soundshed Music) as musicians and final producers of the song.
Stan Ghys brought the project to life in Sydney, creating the Stand Up Singers then organising rehearsals and the recording session at ABC studios on September 28 and conducted by Paul. The song and music video have just been released with a soft launch taking place on Saturday October 11 (12.00–2.30pm) at Kiss My Brass Bar, Marrickville.
Volunteer Team
- Stan Ghys – Executive Producer, musician, singer, and senior account manager with extensive experience in project management, media engagement, and fundraising.
- Paul Jarman – Producer, internationally renowned choral composer and conductor (www.pauljarman.com/the-story).
- Dr Gillian Eastgate – Clinical doctor specialising in drugs and alcohol, working closely with people experiencing homelessness.
- Suze Pratten – Choir director and large-scale music project leader; her 2023 video project for the Voice referendum involved over 800 singers.