Junkestra - the string can orchestra from Girgarre in Northern Victoria
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Over my ten-week residency in Mar-Apr 2018 JUNKESTRA literally grew from a pile of rubbish to an orchestra with 30+ players. We built instruments, we practiced a lot, we invited guest groups to appear with us and we put on a great show for the opening of the new Gargarro Soundshell. It is the brainchild of the Girgarre ReViVal committee - Jan Smith, Athol & Sandra McDonald, Lisa Smith, Pat Sufra and Carrie Donaldson. They had the idea, they won a prestigious Small Town Transformations grant through Regional Arts Victoria and they made it happen. It is a fantastic project that is ongoing
"Watching and listening to this concert and show under the night sky in the bush town of Girgarre I felt transported into space! I was invited to a performance of people and sometimes extraterrestrials evolving in and out of a space-like sound shell structure, acting, singing and playing music and sounds in wonderful costumes and with self created instruments.
A truly out of this world evening!!" - Astrid Wiegand, Graeme's sister in law |
Watch the full 2018 Girgarre Gala Performance here
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After eight weeks of preparation the Girgarre Junkestra was ready to take to the stage. These glimpses of their final indoor rehearsal were filmed by Liz Arcus and capture some of the joy and energy of the participants, many of whom had never played music before. 
Most of the players in the Girgarre Junkestra had never played music before they rehearsed and performed in this work. They range in age from 13 to 84. They perform on a range of bespoke percussion and 'String Cans'. Each can has one guitar string, so six played at once is like an open chord on a guitar. This allows non-musicians a way to play chords and harmonies and experience proper music making. It also lends the orchestra its unique sound. There's more information about String Cans here.
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2018 Gala Performance excerpts..
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Des Crichton plays a bin-lid guitar, another Wallace Williams creation, with the Junkestra at the Soundshell Gala Opening Featuring Pete Gibson, Harp, Wallace Williams and Lynne Leak, violins. Wallace is playing his unique hand-hammered, hand-made tin violin. Opening theme of Spirit Rising performed by the Girgarre Junkestra, Gargarro Soundshell Gala Opening. Wallace Williams is playing his hand-hammered sheet-metal violin. Fifteen string-cans were created and played by the Junkestra in the opening concert for the Gargarro Soundshell. Ten were made by Wallace Williams, three by Peter Gibson and two by myself, however it was a collaborative process with all of us working on various aspects of all instruments. |
The Girgarre Junkestra were joined by the Girgarre Line Dancers for their first ever public performance at the opening of the Gargarro Soundshell The Rushworth and District Concert Band were special guests at the opening of the Gargarro Soundhell in Girgarre on 21 April 2018 The CFA's Girgarre Fire Brigade made a guest appearance at the opening of the Gargarro Soundshell. They also provided a surprise moment using the firetruck's flashing lights and a smoke-bomb. The effect turned the soundshell into an alien spaceship. Then the aliens arrived... Athol 'Doc' MacDonald performs some high-octane revving with the Girgarre Junkestra at the Gala Opening of the Gargarro Soundshell in Girgarre |
