Faith hits a high note as cultures come together at Song of This Land concert

Every so often we are reminded of the rich tapestry of stories, traditions, cultures and expressions of faith that comprise Australia. The inaugural Song of This Land concert at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on 13 October was a joyful, colourful, hope-filled expression of community and the various ways faith is expressed across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Highlighting the spirit of this inaugural celebration, Archbishop Peter A Comensoli warmly invited the people of Melbourne ‘to join us in celebrating the unfolding of the Holy Spirit’s work in our Archdiocese through worship, prayer, music and community.’

The concert began with a welcome from the Dean of the Cathedral, Mgr Stuart Hall, followed by an Acknowledgement of Country delivered by Louise Luu, Engagement Officer at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry.

This is a time to rejoice in our cultural diversity and to experience the joy that music brings to us all.

At 2.30pm, members of the Archdiocesan community, many wearing the traditional dress of their countries of origin, streamed into the Cathedral for a multicultural Rosary, with prayers recited in many languages, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of our Catholic community. This time of contemplation was an opportunity for people to come together, united in their shared intentions and devotion.

Beginning at 3pm, each choir and performer shared the distinct sounds, rhythms, dances and costumes of their culture.

The concert is the vision of Dr Philip Matthias, Director of Cathedral Music, who also organised the event. Thanking the participants, Dr Matthias shared his hopes for future celebrations, saying, ‘May I offer my deepest gratitude to all who have taken part in Song of This Land. This is a time to rejoice in our cultural diversity and to experience the joy that music brings to us all.’

The concert began as the sound of the didgeridoo, played by Troy Kuhl, filled the Cathedral. This was followed by John Wayne Parsons, a proud Yuggerabul Meriam Le man, who performed ‘Baba Waiar’, a hymn from the Western Torres Strait Islands, sung in language. John’s performance—as he stood in a sea of blue ao dai worn by the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Combined Choir—captured the essence of our national identity as choirs representing waves of immigration over the past 80 years joined those whose people have lived here for tens of thousands of years in a spirit of welcome and worship.

Each group’s performance brought something uniquely beautiful.

The large Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Combined Choir filled the Cathedral with powerful voices and beautiful musical accompaniment as they performed ‘Bài Ca Ngàn Trùng’ (‘The Eternal Song of Praise’), and ‘Kinh Hoà Bình’ (‘Prayer of St Francis’), a stirring hymn of peace.

The Lao and Thai Choir added a warm, welcoming touch, presenting a traditional dance that culminated with a floral offering at the altar—a graceful gesture of peace and hospitality.

It’s been a while since we last heard that kind of song. We miss it a lot.

Representing the Polish community, the Rawdanowicz family delivered a heartfelt tribute to Mary. Accompanied by trumpets and piano accordion, they sang traditional Marian songs that have long held a special place in Polish hearts.

‘We love our Mother Mary, and the Polish nation has always loved her,’ Dominik Rawdanowicz shared before the concert, adding, ‘I’m looking forward to performing in the Cathedral and making the most of the beautiful acoustics as we sing our songs in Polish.’

The Filipino Chaplaincy Singers also shared their talents, performing ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Rosas Pandan’, a folk song of joy and love from the southern Philippines. Reflecting on the experience after the concert, Ernesto Macdamid said, ‘It’s been a while since we last heard that kind of song. We miss it a lot.’

The Croatian Community Combined Choir, a vision in their red floral shawls, performed a Marian song for pilgrims to Medjugorje and a traditional and patriotic hymn of offering to God in gratitude for those whose sacrifices gave us the freedom to celebrate the Eucharist.

We should really come together and praise together … We’re all the same, but we’re all different at the same time.

For members of the Eritrean Catholic Choir, the event had a profound significance. Tanya, one of the choir members, explained, ‘We’re here because as a Catholic community, we believe that our cultures shouldn’t define or separate us. We should really come together and praise together … We’re all the same, but we’re all different at the same time.’ Batel, also from the Eritrean community, echoed this sentiment, saying, ‘We’re here to showcase the way we worship … And we’re hoping to see other communities and how they do it as well.’

The Timorese choir Naroman, meaning ‘the light’ in Timorese, represented their community with pride. ‘It’s wonderful to be at the Cathedral to participate in the inaugural Song of this Land,’ said Deolinda Maria Da Cunha. ‘We are so grateful to be among other cultural groups showing our faith through our culture and also our identity as Tmorese through our traditional songs, dance and costumes. Thanks to God we are working together.’

Each choir and ensemble contributed their own form of praise and worship, weaving together Australia’s rich cultural and spiritual fabric.

Reminding us that we are not alone in our love for the Lord, Saman Lenin, a celebrated vocalist, musician and ethno-musicologist from Sri Lanka performed a collection of religious songs from various faiths, which he started collecting and singing having witnessed the collapse of love and harmony between different peoples living in his country.

But it was perhaps the small but animated group of children from the Trinity Voices, the choir of Trinity Primary School in Richmond, led by their director Bernadette Matthias, that best captured the spirit of the event. Their enthusiastic performance conveyed hope, diversity, unity and joy, all rolled into a three-song performance complete with actions, delivered by the smallest but possibly most spirited performers of the day.

For the closing song, members of the Filipino choir returned, joining the Cathedral Cantor and Schola, and accompanied by Troy Kuhl on the didgeridoo, blending Indigenous music and Filipino voices in a moving finale in which all in attendance were invited to join.

The Song of This Land concert was a vibrant reminder of Australia’s multicultural spirit, the importance of celebrating the various cultural expressions of faith in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and the many ways faith and heritage can unite a community.