The Four Winds Spring Youth Music Festival is on again, but will be a bit different this year.
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In a normal year, 850 to 900 kids would converge on the Four Winds site for a mass celebration of musicianship, composition, collaboration, encouragement, song and symphony.
Due to COVID-19, and a set of rules around singing and wind instruments, this year Four Winds will take the festival into the schools themselves as well as record student and guest performances in its Windsong Pavilion.
In the spirit of NAIDOC week, on Saturday, November 14, local Koori Choir Djinama Yilaga will perform new songs in Dhurga language fronted by young members Shakeela Williams and Requia Campbell.
The choir will be travelling to Tathra, Tanja, Candelo, Tilba and Bermagui Schools to share the music with students on Thursday and Friday, November 12 and 13.
Joining them will be members of Four Winds Artists in Schools program.
On Friday, members of Sydney Youth Orchestra are coming to perform for school kids and will then join the Bega Valley Youth Orchestra for a performance of three pieces in the Windsong Pavilion on Sunday which will be digitally recorded.
The Bega Valley Youth Orchestra and Chamber Strings groups have been busy rehearsing and individual performers and other local students will be showcasing their compositions and musicianship throughout the weekend.
Although taking place without an audience, on Saturday and Sunday the walls of the Windsong will reverberate with music played on instruments ranging from tin whistles to harpsichords, strings to drums, as Four Winds' digital first team record their performances for each young performer to keep.
The Four Winds harpsichord will be brought out for a lively Vivaldi piece along with two cellos, performed by young pianist and composer Hunter Bailey-Watts and student Nyah Cockle along with music teacher Anna Martin-Scrase.
On November 16 and 17, Kindergarten to Year 2s in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla will be visited by Zeeko, which sing songs and tell stories of courage, cooperation and ingenuity in the face of a changing climate.
