2008 Butterfly Music News

2007 News Archive

August 10-15: Bowral Snow, Childers and Wide Bay
After living in Bowral for more than three years it finally snowed on Sunday, August 10. Just as we were driving home from the shops we saw the first flakes fall and by the time we got out of the car it was snowing fairly heavily. We had seen snow before in Tasmania but not in our own home town!

The week started at St Joseph’s, Childers, where I’d visited in 2003. Back then they had so many red heads that they were the red head capital of Queensland. Not so many there now, but enough for me to feel at home. Great singing performances from Josh, Stella and the rest of the choir.

From there to Xavier Catholic Primary, one of the newest primary schools in the Brisbane Archdiocese. There was one class called 3K that had 8 redheads out of 25 students! One third of the class! FANTASTIC!

On Wednesday I was at Star of the Sea, Torquay. Great day, lots of fun. On Thursday I was back at St Mary’s Maryborough for the fourth time in six years. A busy day, getting ready for a night concert and the Feast of the Assumption. We had a lovely combined primary and college choir. There’s a picture below of the college girls practising on the lawn of the school grounds. I got to sing once more with Anna Parker, who led I Sing To Mary beautifully. Special thanks to Annie and Rachel for their leadership and to Sydney and James for their grooviness.

What a beautiful school St Mary’s is. They’ve got a lovely old convent which has been restored and renovated to make the new offices.  The principal, Luke Brown, has decorated his office with the beautiful artwork of the children. They also have a great Strings Program at the school. Before I left I was entertained by the beautiful String Quartet who performed this great Chinese Market Song, and then I went to see the Year 6 Orchestra perform too.

August 4-8: Two Feast Days and a Song for St Patrick’s Gympie
On August 5 I got up early for the drive to Canberra to be part of Rosary Primary’s Feast Day. They celebrate the Feast of St Dominic because the Dominican Sisters founded the school. Children sometimes ask me what the best part of my job is. It’s when a child comes back after everything is over and looks me in the eye and says thank you. Alexandra from the Rosary choir did just that and I was really moved by her heartfelt thanks. And Alexandra’s going to come and sing on the new album as well!

On August 6 I got to sit down with Larry Gilmore, my video engineer and got to have a look at the first edits of my new DVD, “Come Dance With Me”. It’s looking good with the highlights for me being “Wherever I Go” and “I Sing to Mary”. We’re on target for an October release I think.

Then it was a quick flight north to Brisbane and then on to Gympie to help St Patrick’s write their school song. As I sit here typing I’m on a break having just completed two verses and a chorus with one verse to go. As well as catching up with one of my favourite singers, Miranda Robertson, who did lots of leads on “Many Roads, One Journey”, I also went off to a studio in Gympie to do some recording for the two new albums with Jules Maher, my harmonica playing friend. Here’s a photo of Jules who seems a bit uncomfortable with the headphones!

On Friday I headed to St Mary’s Church in Maryborough for a combined Josephites School Mass, celebrating the Feast of Blessed Mary MacKillop. St Mary’s Maryborough hosted St Joseph’s Childers to remember and honour Mary MacKillop, one of Australia’s greatest heroes. A really beautiful Mass with some lovely singing. Thanks to Stacey, Ellen, Stella and Kaitlin and the gang from St Joseph’s and to Rachel and Annie and the lovely little and big gang from St Mary’s. See you all next week!

July 29-August 1: Up to the Top End
On Monday night of July 28 I made the longish flight up to Darwin. The plane didn’t land until after 1:00 in the morning but that’s when Darwin Airport is at its busiest.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Sacred Heart School in Palmerston, working with the students and the teachers and because it was over two days I got to workshop some old favourites like The Well Song, Flutterby Butterfly and I Have Called You By Name. A fabulous choir and I met the amazing Samantha who has such a beautiful voice I had to invite her to come to Sydney to be a part of the choir recording for Let Your Light Shine. And she’s going to come. Some great boy singers at Sacred Heart too.

I spent Thursday at St Paul’s at Nightcliff and as with Sacred Heart, it was my third visit. They really sing well at St Paul’s and sang “May God Be In My Heart” as well as it’s ever been sung anywhere. At St Paul’s I got to meet old friends, not just Shane and Mary who’ve been there for a while, but old friends from far away, like the Ogles from Tasmania and others from Canberra too.

On Friday it was off to Humpty Doo to St Francis of Assisi, which for some reason, always makes me think of the Wiggles. There were no Wiggles to be found and my voice was starting to go missing too. We managed to get through the workshops thanks to a brilliant choir. By the evening I had almost no voice at all, but Shayne Kidd promised me that the choir would get me through. So for the first time ever (last year I did a half concert like this) I did a concert where I didn’t sing at all and let the children do the singing. Fantastic work by the choir, with special mention to Connie and the girls who kept it together really well.

Here are a few photos from St Francis, including me sitting behind a principal’s desk for the first time since 1998 when I was Acting Principal for a term. It was tiring just thinking about it!

 

 

 

July 21-25: Victoria
I flew out to Melbourne on the Sunday night to begin a week in Victoria. Began with a day and a night at St Dominic’s Broadmeadows and met an amazing and well-travelled teacher called Cath Woodhouse. One of those teachers who is committed to educating the disadvantaged in our world. Cath spent a lot of time in indigenous schools in WA and now works with the diverse community at Broadmeadows. Amazing children from all parts of the world and many refugees who love the new home they’ve found at St Dominic’s.

From there to a very, very cold Ballarat. Ice on the window in the morning before heading to St Columba’s in North Ballarat. Got to be one of the first performers to work in their fabulous new hall. A great day.

From Ballarat to an even colder Colac and the beautiful community of St Mary’s. Many highlights but none better than the two biggest boys in Year 6, Jack and Josh I think, who did amazing deep voices in the Rainbow song. And lots of rainbow coloured children at the evening concert too. Then to Sacred Heart in Colac, home of Madeleine and Millicent who sang on Many Roads, One Journey. And now there’s the lovely redheaded Charlotte who’s coming to Sydney to sing on Let Your Light Shine.

The week finished with the fabulous kids and the teachers from St Aloysius. Their teachers love their music so much they often have a very special choir practice on a Friday afternoon after all the kids have gone home! I got to join them for one as well! Met the fabulous Dana the Bega Cheese girl and her sister Catherine.

 

July 14-18: World Youth Day and a quick visit to Nambour
July 16 was a pretty special day. Late last year, Fr John Pearce, a Passionist Priest from Endeavour Hills in Melbourne, invited me to be a part of “Songs of Passion” an official World Youth Day Event held at St Brigid’s in Marrickville.

It was an amazing night with youth from all around the world singing. There were singers and dancers from Tonga, Vietnam, USA, Argentina, and pilgrims from around the world. Among many amazing performances was Daniel Belle singing “You Raise Me Up”- I saw several adults with tears in their eyes as he finished.

I was joined by the lovely children from St Christopher’s at Holsworthy, Holy Spirit at Carnes Hill and St Brigid’s at Marrickville. We sang three songs: “One Faith, One Hope, One Love”, “This Holy Cross” and “These Hands”. The children were just brilliant. It was an honour to be part of the event and to witness the joy of World Youth Day.

Then on Friday I headed off to Nambour on the Sunshine Coast to St Joseph’s School and finally got to meet Bobby McGhee (busted flat in Baton Rouge!). No Bob is the lovely APRE at St Joseph’s who actually opened the bowling for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield!

 

 

July 7-11: In the Studio: “Let Your Light Shine” and “Under Your Star”
The entire week of July 7 to 11 was spent in the studio recording voices and instruments for my next album “Let Your Light Shine” and my Christmas album “Under Your Star”. Friday was when we recorded the soloists and the choir for the Christmas album, featuring children in and around Sydney, Canberra and Bowral. Here’s some images from the week:

 

June 30-July 4: “We Are the Body of Christ”; Perth and Adelaide
“We Are the Body of Christ” is the title of the song I wrote for Corpus Christi School in St Ives. Corpus Christi means “the body of Christ” and with the help of some parents, students and teachers we came up with a catchy school song.

On Tuesday I popped in to St Brigid’s Marrickville to work with the choir who will be helping me at a WYD Festival event on July 16 and then it was off to Perth for a quick visit to two schools, St Brigid’s, Lesmurdie (my third visit!) and to Our Lady of Lourdes, Nollamara. Then it was on to another plane across the Nullarbor to Adelaide to St John the Apostle, Christies Beach (I still want to know who Christie is and how they got the beach named after them). Met some fabulous singers that day. Paolo and I sang the New Zealand national anthem and Alison, Sheridan, Steph and Sarah were brilliant as were the whole choir.

June 16-27: Tweed Coast, This Day Art Work, Sandhurst and a song for St Rose
June 16-20 was a week on the beautiful Tweed Coast of northern NSW. I visited some old friends at St Joseph’s, South Murwillumbah and St John’s Mullumbimby, as well as making first visits to Mt St Patrick’s, Murwillumbah, St Anthony’s at Kingscliff and finishing the week at St Joseph’s, Alstonville. Alstonville is famous for Fr Mac’s Heavenly Christmas Puddings and I was lucky enough to be given one on the day.

During this time I was beginning ot receive artwork from around Australia and New Zealand for the video clip for “This Day” which will be part of me new DVD. Here’s some of the children at work from, in order, Sacred Heart, Goomalling, WA; St Andrew’s, Ferny Grove, QLD; St Columba College, Andrews Farm, SA; St Michael’s, Mittagong, NSW; St Paul’s, Nightcliff, NT and St Theresa’s, Invercargill, NZ.

I spent two days on the New South Wales-Victoria Border at St Augustine’s, Wodonga and then at Sacred Heart, Corryong. Corryong is such a beautiful town and in the afternoon I headed up to the hills to look over the valley as sunset came over Corryong- just beautiful. Most of my favourite places are set in valleys with a river running through: my home town of Bowral, Yea in Victoria and Te Aroha in New Zealand.

On Friday, June 27 I wrote my first school song of the year for St Rose’s at Collaroy and by the end of the day we had the song written and performed it at the school assembly. It’s called “May the Love of God Be With You”.

 

June 2-13: Victoria, More DVD Shoots, and Sydney
From June 2-4 I was in Victoria, firstly in Melbourne, visiting St James at Vermont, and then out to the Sale Diocese. First stop there was Sacred Heart in Morwell, where I met the first of the talented Hayes family, Rod Hayes the Principal. Later on I was lucky enough to play the guitar of the famous Mrs Hayes! And the next day I got to meet the little Hayes, Alicia and Kate. Alicia is one of Jane Mitchell’s (she wrote Gifts) Archangels. Kate wrote me a beautiful letter and has even started to write her own songs at the age of 9!

On June 5 we had a big day of filming at Holy Spirit Church at Carnes Hill. The day was spent filming the children from Holy Spirit on five songs: This Holy Cross, God of All Hearts, Spirit of God, This Day and Wherever I Go. The children from St Therese at Sadleir also came up and recorded their movements for Hold My Hands and Garden of Gethsemane. Here are some of the photos:

On June 6 I spent the day with the beautiful children of Sacred Heart, Cabramatta, including the now famous Wilson and Sock Girl! It was a mufti day and there was a girl with these spectacular black and white socks so she became known as sock girl for the day.

On June 7 we headed off to the studio and recorded Matthew Santucci on bass guitar. On Tuesday June 11 I returned to St Francis Xavier, Lurnea where I taught for four years in the early 1990s. St Francis has many, many memories. It was where I met my wife, Benradette, where my music ministry really began to blossom, and where I wrote my first two songs, Together As One and Go Now In Peace.

June 13 was our last filming day for the DVD spent at St Joseph’s Moorebank, filming the children of St Christopher’s Holsworthy. We filmed the last two songs, I Sing to Mary and One Faith, One Hope, One Love. Here’s some images from the day. Even the teachers, Mrs Straub and Miss Pantaleo wanted to get in on the action.

And the week finished with a quick trip to Canberra to visit Sacred Heart in Pearce. This was my third Sacred Heart School in two weeks. And we also celebrated the arrival of my new and beloved Maton guitar.

May 24-30: Recording CD, DVD shoot and Gladstone, QLD
On May 24 Cliff Coy returned to the studio to lay down the drums for our new album “Let Your Light Shine”. Cliff’s deep voice will be returning for two songs as well, “Live in Harmony” and “In God We Stand”.

On Monday, May 26, we began shooting the local footage for the new DVD. The children from St Thomas Aquinas in Bowral will feature on four songs on the DVD. Here’s some photos from the day, with images from “Lord of the Dance”, “May God Be In My Heart”, and “Our Hearts Burn Within Us”.

The last three days of the week I headed up to Gladstone in the Rockhampton Diocese. I caught up with old friends at St Francis of Assisi at Tannum Sands and St John the Baptist in Gladstone. I also met some new ones at Star of the Sea Gladstone. One of the highlights of the day was meeting the talented Mrs Richardson who can not only teach and cook she can also so Rainbow colours and donated new greens for the Rainbow song to replace the faded old ones! Thanks Kellie!

One of the children said these lovely words to her teacher: “Normally I would be really scared, but Andrew just made me feel like I could do it!!”

Here’s the fabulous Star of the Sea Choir and a couple of stars of the show:

 

May 15-23: Sydney, Newcastle and Bulahdelah
On May 15 I returned to St Therese’s at Padstow and got to meet one of my all time favourite Year 6 classes. What groovers they were! May 16 saw me at St Michael’s at Belfield where we invented the Kendall Line, named after a terrific singer in Year 4.

May 19 and 20 were two visits to St Joseph’s schools in the Newcastle Diocese. On Monday I visited St Joseph’s, Bulahdelah, a small school of just 27 students (but growing!) with lots of talent. Michaela was a particular talent in the singing department. On Tuesday, I spent the day at St Joseph’s, Kilaben Bay, where we finished the day with a lovely outdoor concert. The Year 6 boys were the stars of the show.

The rest of the week was taken up with preparations for my new DVD, called “Come Dance With Me”. I visited St Christopher’s at Holsworthy, St Thomas Aquinas in Bowral, and Holy Spirit at Carnes Hill to prepare the children for their part in the making of the DVD. I met a fellow redhead at St Christopher’s called Connor, who has some great dance moves. Keep your eye out for him when the DVD comes out in October.

May 23 saw the first filming day for the DVD. It took place across the Tasman in Wellington in New Zealand. Eight girls and boys from Cardinal McKeefry School recorded a liturgical dance for “I Am The River”. One of the dancers was the now famous Anna, who, when she was in Year 2, made up the now famous Butterfly Bow. She’s now in Year 7 and dances in the video, along with her sister.

May 6-9: Western Australia
On May 5 I boarded the Qantas 747 to Perth for a four day journey. First stop was Good Shepherd at Lockridge. We had a terrific outdoor concert in the afternoon followed by a smaller one in the evening. Perhaps the highlight of the day was the groovy teachers. I promised them that I would officially declare them to be the grooviest teachers I’d met anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. They ALL danced the whole night, even their principal.

Next stop, the beautiful St Munchin’s at Gosnells. I was really lucky because the principal, Mr Chris Cully is a fantastic photographer and he got some great photos of the day. Not only do they have a talented principal but they also have a fantastic music teacher, Anne Dalton. What a great day we had together. I was really moved when they sang the Irish Blessing to me and someone reached out and took my hand as part of the blessing.

Here are some of the magic moments from the day:

On Thursday, May 8, I returned to the other Good Shepherd, in Kelmscott, where three years ago I had met Diana Newman, another brilliant music teacher, as well as my favourite Western Australian family, the Oorschotts. I got to sing with Emma again- her voice has really matured, and shared a few laughs with her brother Joseph. Annalise Bogoni sang beautifully as did the whole choir. I’m hoping to get one or two Good Shepherd children to come and sing on my new album.Here’s a sketch by Kyle, who is in Year 5 at Good Shepherd who has recently made his first solo singing performance. Well done Kyle.

 

For the last day in WA I drove south to Mandurah to visit Assumption Catholic College where I met a few old friends from St Mary’s in Orange, including Ruby. Then it was the red-eye flight home through the night, leaving Perth at midnight and landing in Sydney just after 6:00am.

April 28-May 2: Brisbane, Adelaide and Sadleir
This was what I call a Frequent Flyer Week- lots of points. It began with two days in Brisbane visiting St Flannan’s at Zillmere before heading south of the city to visit St Matthew’s at Cornubia. I shared my St Matthew’s song with them and “Who Wants to Be A CD-aire” was based on the life of St Matthew.

From there I jetted over to Adelaide to visit two of the schools I’d had to cancel when I lost my voice.

My visit to St Columba’s at Andrews Farm was one my most memorable days and nights in quite a while. It began with spending time with Robyn, Peter and Claire Mercer at their home north of Adelaide. At St Columba’s they’d even formed an “Andrew Chinn Committee” to prepare for my visit.

Some of the highlights for me were:

• singing “I Have Called You By Name” with Eliza and all the kids from the Iona Unit.
• Being blessed by the choir as they sang “Deep Peace” to me, including Alicia, the girl who sings with her eyes as well as her voice!
• Josie, my roadie for the day, who can also sing beautifully and is a talented songwriter too.
• “Shine Among Them” complete with 600 silver streamers!
• The most beautiful gift I have ever been given- a Butterfly Music Mosaic made by Michelle which now hangs proudly in my office.

I finished my visit to Adelaide with a day and evening with the community of St Martin’s, Greenacre. Then it was back home. On the way I dropped in on St Therese’s Sadleir where the children there are helping me on my new DVD.

April 23-24: New album begins
I spent two days in the studio laying the foundations for my next album, to be called “Let Your Light Shine”. It looks like it will have 21 tracks, seven of which have already been recorded when we recorded “Many Roads, One Journey”. There’s a song for St Andrew, called “Attend With A Listening Heart” and one for St Peter, called “You Are My Rock”. Anyway, the beginning of a long journey which probably won’t see the album released until March 2009.

April 14-18: Victoria
This was a family week with Eleanor and Bernadette and I jumping in the car and heading off to Wodonga and then to Yarrawonga to catch up with some old friends, the Hunters, before continuing on to Echuca. Our first school stop was St Mary’s, Cohuna, where we had an evening concert in a grand old hall.

From there it was  off to Bendigo for two days beginning at St Joseph’s Quarry Hill. Our evening concert was held at the spectacular new hall at Catholic College Bendigo and we got some terrific photos. Here are some of them:

As you can see the teachers had a bit of a sing and a dance too.

Here’s me and my old mate Harley Hayes who joined me on stage for another guest appearance travelling down from Elmore for the event.

And this is Paddy with a couple of his mates. I’m giving Paddy a gift because he drew a portrait of me for me which I really love. And with Paddy’s permission, I’ve scanned the portrait and placed it here for you to see.

Next stop, St Monica’s, Kangaroo Flat. We had a beautiful day and headed outdoors for our afternoon concert. My wife, Bernadette, had our camera and got some great shots of the day.

And how’s this for an Elvis impersonation!

Fr Gerry seemed to be having a good time and there was a spectacular Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear as well.

The week finished with a visit to St Andrew’s at Ferntree Gully and then out to Warragul for the day on the Friday. Bernadette and Eleanor had fun shopping in and around the city of Melbourne. On Saturday we went to see Guys and Dolls before starting the journey home.

April 1-11: Waitara at last, Brisbane, Adelaide and no voice!

I was at Our Lady of the Rosary at Waitara for April Fools’ Day and was fooled by someone pretending to be me! Then it was off to Brisbane and Beaudesert for a few days starting at St Ignatius Toowong. And for the second time I was blogged by Mrs Mac’s class: http://mrsmcsclass.blogspot.com/ . Scroll down to April 2 for more details.

On April 3 I visited St Mary’s Beaudesert and thanks to a great young teacher called Luke, I was inspired to write a new song called “I Light a Candle” which will now appear on my new album. April 4 saw me visit St Joseph’s, Kangaroo Point for an amazing day. On Friday they have this dance session called “Funky Friday” and at the end of recess the whole school dances for five minutes. And “Shine Among Them” was the “Funky Friday Song” the day I was there.

And look- some more fish faces to add to the collection. Some amazing voices there too, with Arush and Sophie being particularly outstanding.

On April 7 I flew to Adelaide and had a great day at Catherine McAuley at Craigmore but unfortunately I had a cold, lost my voice and had to head home.

March 23-31: Central Coast, Sydney, JCI in Mittagong
Easter Sunday saw me lead the singing at the Parish Mass at St Patrick’s Parish, East Gosford. We celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus with a lovely dance to one of my favourite songs, “Lord of the Dance” and I got to dance with another redhead!

I returned to the Central Coast for concerts at St Patrick’s, East Gosford and St John Fisher at Tumbi Umbi and then returned to St John Bosco at Engadine for another Easter Concert.

Friday May 28, saw the WYD Cross and Icon arrive in my own parish in the Southern Highlands. All three Highlands schools, St Paul’s at Moss Vale, St Thomas Aquinas, Bowral and St Michael’s at Mittagong gathered at the Marist Brothers “Hermitage” in Mittagong for a combined schools celebration.

This was an amazing and moving event. The music was led by a combined choir from the three schools, backed by the famous St Thomas Aquinas liturgy group and a team of dancers from all three schools. Bishop Peter Ingham led the celebration. The highlight for me was to sing “This Holy Cross” as the Cross was surfed across the heads of all the children gathered there. This day will always hold very special memories for me.