Singers from around Australia and the world have come together in a virtual choir to perform a new Australian Christmas Carol arrangement of Oh Christmas Tree with new words by Clarence Slockee. The song celebrates the coming together and gathering of family and friends during the summer holidays.
The final video, released on 12 December features many school and community choirs as well as families, friendship groups and the ABC Classic and Gardening Australia teams, singing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in the arrangement and orchestration by Joseph Twist. The video will also feature in Gardening Australia's Christmas Special on December 16.
In July 2022, ABC Classic and Gardening Australia put out the call for people to join the Classic Choir and record themselves singing the new carol Oh Christmas Tree (Yerrbill with Clarence). The carol opens with Gardening Australia presenter and Bundjalung man Clarence Slockee who welcomes us to sing in his Language. Clarence then invites us to learn words in other Indigenous Languages, taking the audience through the diverse seasons and food which makes Australian Christmas so unique.
"It's about the time of year. It's a celebration of family and of life. It's a time of everybody coming together and not thinking about themselves for once – thinking about others and about the bigger picture. And if we want to take that into the space of thinking about Mother Nature, thinking globally about what we can do to heal this planet."
In putting new words into the tune, Clarence consulted Australian First Nations elders and communities from Noongar in Western Australia to Lutruwita, the First Nation's name for Tasmania.
"I had to get permission from my local [Bundjalung] elders and also permissions from elders of the Language groups which we incorporated into the songs. Following cultural protocols, we let the elders, who the Language belongs to, know the process and have them on board and give their acknowledgement and blessing."
ABC Classic presenter Megan Burslem, who learnt the lyrics directly from Slockee says: "This year, as well as making music together, we learnt to sing in Bundjalung, Minyunbal Nganduwal and nine other First Nations languages, with the blessing from Elders around our country. What an absolute honour it has been to witness the creation of a brand new Australian carol that represents our community, our history, and our collective music-making culture."
The Classic Choir started during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, and this is the first year the choir has run without social distancing restricting singing in the same space. This was apparent in the increase of group videos submitted for the choir, which included primary and high school students, professional choirs and therapeutic choirs for people living with dementia.
Zara Thompson, who runs ReWire Musical Memories Choir, an inclusive, therapeutic choir for people living with dementia and their supporters says:
"Coming together to sing this carol was a celebration of inclusivity."
She adds how important it is for people living with dementia to be included in the arts and cultural activities. The choir met online to practice the Classic Choir song.
The Hillbrook Chorale, a community choral ensemble from Enoggera in Brisbane/Meanjin featured the carol in their November concert. The choir is directed by Joshua Clifford, who shares the singers' joy in the many First Languages featured throughout the carol. "So often we sing carols that are about snow and winter, so it was great to have such a beautiful and deeply 'Aussie' theme through this carol, highlighting the bright and bountiful summer Christmas season!"
The Classic Choir, which was first conceived in 2020 to bring people together during the pandemic, premiered Christmas With You by Deborah Cheetham. In 2021 the Choir continued with Katie Noonan's song All Is Love.
Watch the video on ABC iview, ABC Classic's website, Facebook page and YouTube channel, and listen on ABC listen.