Director’s Note: Anna Ledwich, THE HEARTBREAK CHOIR
I grew up in a small Victorian country town. Three generations of my family have lived there. Its origins began with sheep farming, developed with the gold rush, diversified through woollen mills, orchards, an abattoir, and in latter decades, attracted artists, hippies, foodies and city dwellers seeking a “tree change”. So, on reading THE HEARTBREAK CHOIR, the characters were instantly recognisable, as were the complaints about the changing character of the town, the light friction between the “locals” and the “blow ins”, the pride, the stoicism, the sense of community. Yet this is no sentimental portrait of a rural idyll. Here, history grapples with the present, personal histories and politics noisily overlap and generational wounds reemerge in search of healing.
The purpose of this choir is “to connect”. They argue, laugh, confess and cry, but music is their salve. Language may let us down, but music connects us through sound and vibration. It connects us to the air we breathe and the ground beneath our feet. It connects us to culture and history and imagination and hope. It is a life raft. It is a battering ram. It is us.
THE HEARTBREAK CHOIR is a place of love, acceptance, brutal honesty, humour and yes, ultimately, of healing. The connection they find, is not just with each other, but within their own selves. In that shabby hall, they confront their fears, examine their hearts and ultimately find their voice.
Anna Ledwich
Celebrating the healing power of music, don’t miss THE HEARTBREAK CHOIR.