On Sunday afternoon October 15th, 2.00pm in St Bede's Church Braidwood, the much loved St Francis of Assissi comes to town in the form of a unique concert that weaves music and song and story to reflect on his extraordinary life.
'Good Morning Good People!', the major work of Mittagong artist Peter Kearney, is being performed in twenty-four venues from Melbourne to Brisbane during 2006.
The Braidwood concert comes about because local residents Rod Coady and Wendy McMahon-Bell have been narrators in previous presentations of the work at Canberra, Goulburn, Queanbeyan and Sydney. A home town concert seemed like a very good idea.
'Good Morning Good People!', described by a Franciscan Brother as a 'moving and prayerful journey' features attractive folk-style music, and unfolds without applause except at the end of each half. It has been performed at the Canberra Folk Festival.
The writer-composer, Peter Kearney, who lives in Mittagong, has made music his full time work since 1982. Some of his best known compositions include 'Fill My House', 'The Beatitudes', and 'Where Is Your Song, My Lord?'. Those who attended Peter's concert at St Bede's School earlier in the year found it a delightful experience.
Peter began writing 'Good Morning Good People!' in 1970 after reading a book on St Francis. Further songs and narration were written over the next twenty five years.
In 2004, while living in Ireland (his wife Madge's homeland) there were eighteen presentations of 'Good Morning Good People!' in Ireland and Scotland - including concerts in Dublin, Galway, Edinburgh and Glascow.
These small scale presentations, involving just two singers and two narrators, met with a deeply felt response. After the Dublin concert at Adam and Eve's Church, Franciscan priest Father Gabriel Kinahan said to the audience "We came hoping for something good and we heard something wonderful".
The concert is aimed mainly at an adult audience though secondary and upper primary aged children would appreciate it.
In the Braidwood concert Peter will be joined by Claire Parkhill from Canberra, a fine vocalist whose voice is heard on each of Peter's fourteen CDs. The narrators are Wendy McMahon-Bell and Rod Coady.
Concert details: Sunday October 15th. 2.00pm. St Bede's Church Braidwood.
Admission: $10 or $8 pensioner-student. At door. Enquiries: Pauline Coady 4842 2829
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