The Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir kicks off its national tour at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, this December.
Queensland audiences will experience extraordinary choral singing from the outback as the the Choir performs at the QPAC for the first time at the concert hall.
With a musical confluence of Baroque and Romantic era choral arrangements and centuries-old sacred hymns, Carried through time in ancient Aboriginal languages for one performance only on Sunday 11 December 2022.
The choir consist of 25 core members, with majority of the singers being women and four male members, that come from seven remote communities.
Throughout central Australia including Hermannsburg, Areyonga, Titjikala, Mutitjulu, Docker River, and Alice Springs.
The choir was formed as an blend of various individual community choirs, including the renowned choirs from Ntaria (Hermannsburg), Areyonga and Ernabella.
Singing in English alongside Western Arrarnta and Pitjantjatjara - two living languages of the Northern Territory and South Australia.
Members of The Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir.
The choir's charismatic artistic director and conductor Morris Stuart said the group had found great success since forming.
"I am deeply proud of this choir," he said.
"There is something about music, especially singing, choral singing, which is powerful, transformative, therapeutic, and that brings people together.
"The choir's greatest achievement so far has been a 12,000km trip to Germany to share some of the 53 hymns that German missionaries translated into local languages in the 19th century.
"The songs had all but vanished from use in Germany but had been preserved in the Central Australian desert for 140 years.
"The preserved German hymns are like an outback secret".
The extraordinary vocals of the choir first came to popular attention following ABC TV's Australian Story, and the feature documentary, The Song Keepers.
Their story is a testament to the resilience of Indigenous women in the Central Desert as they preserve and strengthen their identity, languages and culture through song.
Producer Andrew Kay it was a privilege to work with the choir.
"I have known (them) for many years now through our collaborations and love of supporting our Indigenous communities," he said.
"It is a strong and special association, and it is most exciting to be bringing the choir back to present four performances within three states."
The Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir is featured in the ABC's current brand campaign for the celebration of the broadcasters 90th year.