Avenel Hall rings with folksy music

Meticulous planning brought four fabulous folk artists to Avenel for the Festival of Small Halls Australia.

The festival event was one of a series of tours showcasing the best folk musicians from Australia and overseas. Hailing from Iceland, guitarist Svavar Knutur entertained the audience in both his native language and English.

The Maes, a trio of folk musicians from country Victoria, performed their original compositions, many of which had been previously featured at Port Fairy Folk Festivals.

To conclude the evening, the four contemporary musicians joined voices to sing Archie Roach’s “We Won’t Cry”.

Peter Stephenson, Administrator of Strathbogie Shire Council, expressed his satisfaction with the event’s success, even though he couldn’t attend in person.

“It is always gratifying for the Council to support and sponsor events that uplift people’s spirits and provide them with the opportunity to witness talented musicians from other regions,” he said.

The Avenel Memorial Hall Committee spearheaded the event’s planning and support, with supper contributions from some of Avenel’s finest chefs.

Neil O’Sullivan compered the evening’s proceedings. Before the musicians took the stage, two senior locals, Mrs Dale Sheahan and Mr Sandy Mackenzie, provided songs and recollections of a local flavour with their performances.

The Festival of Small Halls artists were sponsored by a grant from Creative Australia, with additional assistance from Strathbogie Shire Council through the Community Flood Recovery program.