A 60-voice children’s choir is hoping to offer an evocative insight into the past as they ready themselves to perform in front of the nation’s top dignitaries.
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On Saturday, at the Kangaroo March re-enactment launch, the Commemorative Children’s Choir will sing the songs and don the outfits that were commonplace in wartime Australia, honouring the extraordinary sacrifices made by soldiers enlisted while on the Kangaroo March.
The Kangaroo March, a recruitment drive from Wagga to Sydney, enlisted 222 soldiers for the Great War. The re-enactment retells the story of the Kangaroos in time for the Centenary of Anzac.
The Commemorative Choir’s convener O J Rushton said school children are thrilled to be taking part in the launch this weekend and at the re-enactment in 2015.
“The whole concept is for rural children – who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity – to be involved in the commemorations,” she said.
“The children love it.”
Ms Rushton said she has been surprised by the interest children, who are as young as 12, have taken in the historical event.
“The education that’s coming out of it, the questions the children are asking, that’s what is getting me excited.
“The kids are just asking so many great questions and it’s just sparking their curiosity and interest. The educational side of it has been fantastic.
“We were absolutely blown away by the amount of kids that turned up to participate.”
Ms Rushton said performing in front of dignitaries including the Governor of NSW Marie Bashir; retired Army Chief Peter Cosgrove and Australian War Memorial Director Brendan Nelson was a high honour.
