The Scene

All Ages Sunday fun

Chilblain headline an all ages gig at the Lismore RSL Club this Sunday.

Following on from their win in heat one of the Southern Cross University Band Comp, local band Chilblain will headline an all ages gig this Sunday, June 24 at the Lismore RSL Club from 2-6pm.

The hardcore rock outfit also recently won heat one of the Queensland Rock Awards and will now compete in the semi-finals, where they'll be up against 200 other aspiring young bands.

This Sunday, Chilblain will be joined by Us Versus Them, plus Irrelevant - a Sydney greatest hardcore band, The Mad Dash a six-piece Sydney ska/punk band playing a combination of powerful third wave danceable ska and brassy punk rock anthems, and Second Best is an emotionally charged Sydney punk outfit with great stage presence and a highly energetic live act for a night of heavy, non-stop rock n' roll.

Tickets are $8 at the door. It's an all ages drug and alcohol free event.

Strings and Finer Things

The critically acclaimed Australia Ensemble is hailed as one of our best chamber music ensembles. The seven-piece features some of the finest classical musicians in the country, including SSO concertmaster Dene Olding (violin), former ACO prinicipal Irina Morozova (viola), ACO cellist Julian Smiles, flautist Geoffrey Collins, clarinetist Catherine McCorkill, Ian Munro on piano and Dimity Hall (violin).

For their Musica Viva concert at Lismore City Hall this Friday, June 22, they're joined by leading harpist Alice Giles for a night of contemporary and traditional classical music.

The concert will features 'Yearnings' by former university head Barry Conyngham. The critics regard her as a virtuoso will a dazzling style, and you can make your own mind up when she joins the Australia Ensemble for a Musica Viva concert at Lismore City Hall next Friday, June 22.

It will be a night of beautiful music. Tickets for the Australia Ensemble with Alice Giles are on sale now from the Ticketek office in Molesworth Street, Lismore or at the door. The concert starts at 8pm. Phone 6621 5600.

Jazzin' it up with Sean

Young swing singer Sean Richards (pictured) will join the Lismore outfit, the Brad Lewington Trio, for a special gig next Wednesday, June 27 at Maggie Moores from 8.30pm.

Sean's church and gospel upbringing has heavily influenced his singing, and he will perform a repertoire of jazz standards in his unique gospel style.

He will join Brad Lewington on guitar, Jack Thorncraft on acoustic bass and Dave Sanders on drums. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Koori Art in Casino

"Two women" by Nora Caldwell, from the Buyinbin Aboriginal Art Graduation Show now open in Casino.

Graduates from TAFE's Aboriginal Art and Cultural Practices certificate one and two courses will exhibit their works in a new exhibition, the Buyinbin Aboriginal Art Graduation Show, which opens on Monday, June 25 at the Casino Industrial Estate at 11am.

The exhibition includes artworks from 25 Koori students, aged 17 to 60.

During the course the students learnt about the cultural and heritage value of different artworks as well as painting techniques, print making, wood sculpture and drawing.

Applying these skills to their own artworks, the students have created a series of works in different mediums with the common theme being an emphasis on cultural identity and issues surrounding reconciliation.

The exhibition is at the Buyinbin Workshop, 47 Cassino Drive, Casino Industrial Estate.

It's on show until June 30.

The Byron Waltz

NRSO conductor Barry Singh.

The Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra developed from a smaller ensemble, the Northern Rivers Chamber Orchestra (NRCO), which formed in late 1993.

Barry Singh, founding Artistic Director and present Chief Conductor of NRSO, had long wanted to form an orchestra capable of bringing fine music to the region, thus also allowing local players of all ages to perform major works from the great composers.

From 18 original local musicians and music students, the NRSO is now a full 60-piece symphony orchestra. And while it can't quite manage to offer local music lovers a free trip to the waltz capital of the world, but are currently hard at work rehearsing for the next best thing - a great concert featuring the timeless music of Johann Strauss.

'The Beautiful Blue Danube" promises two hours of light and lively music from the Waltz King and other Viennese masters of ballroom elegance and gaiety.

The concert will lift your spirits with 'The Emperor Waltz', 'Tales from the Vienna Woods', and of course the delightful 'Blue Danube Waltz'.

The Byron Music Society is bringing this fine community orchestra to Byron Bay for the first time for a concert the to be staged at Byron High School on July 1 at 2pm. Tickets are $18/15 conc from Persephone Bookshop, Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Ocean Shores Bookshops from June 1.

Aboriginal Art Comp

Entries are now being taken for the NAIDOC Week Art & Writing Competition, and young Koori artists, poets and writers are being encouraged to enter.

For primary school children the theme for art is 'My Family' while the poetry and short story sections can be any theme. For secondary school ages the art theme is 'Reconciliation' and again the poetry and short story sections can be any theme.

For indigenous adults the art, poetry and short story sections are all open.

All entries will be displayed at the Lismore City Hall, July 8-15.

Winners of the poetry and short story sections will be asked to read their works at a special Elders Story Telling Morning on July 11 at the Lismore City Hall from 10am, where the winners will also be presented with prizes. Entries must be taken to the Koori Mail building on Molesworth Street by Friday, July 6.

To obtain an entry form phone 6625 0432 or 6624 1926.

Clunes Winter

The village of Clunes will celebrate winter solstice, June 21, with a Solstice Talent Show this Saturday, June 23, at the Clunes old school site.

A Kids Talent Quest will be held at 5pm, followed by a two-course buffet dinner. The Adult Talent Quest runs 7-9pm and entries are still open.

From 9pm onwards vocalist Carol Holmes will perform country and blues supported by a number of talented local performers.

The show it's free, however, tickets for dinner are $35 family/15/7 kids (under five free). All proceeds to the Clunes Village Common. Phone 6629 1346 to book.

Caring for History

Two representatives from the Museums and Galleries Foundation, Jessica Blaxwell and Sarah-Jane Rennie, will present two workshops at the Richmond River Historical Society this week on how to best store historical documents or items.

The project has been funded by a Centenary of Federation grant, and aims to fix any storage issues at historical societies that may be affecting the museum collection.

The first workshop is being held today, June 21, from 1-6pm.

"We are invited people to bring in any old memorabilia so they can find out how to best look after their antique," Sarah-Jane said.

"It may be an old photograph of your great grandparents or a doll your grandmother gave you when you were little. It doesn't matter, as long as it's old we can show you how to care for it."

Sarah-Jane and Jessica will teach people 'preventive conservation skills', practical measures which will help you properly care for your old valuables and an informal talk will be held at 2.30pm.

Tomorrow, June 22, a similar workshop will be held at the society from 9.30am-4.30pm. People can learn further preventative conservation skills and also join in a box making workshop for collection storage at 2.15pm.

The Richmond River Historical Society is at 165 Molesworth Street (the old Lismore Council chambers). For more information phone 6621 9993.

Losing Layla Wins

Vanessa Gorman's heartwrenching documentary Losing Layla, produced by Clunes-based Hatchling Productions has won the 2001 ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) Award for Best Documentary.

These awards are designed to promote and reward the work of the Australian screen and audio practitioners. ATOM is an independent, non-profit, professional organization of media educators and industry representatives.

The Hatchling Productions team of Cathy Henkel, Jeff Canin and Vanessa Gorman have now left for overseas to undertake research on their next documentary, which has received development funding from the Australian Film Commission and the NSW Film and TV Oˆfice. The trip will take them to South Africa, the UK, France and New York. The subject of their documentary is confidential for now. Lantern Dance

Students from Richmond River High School and Trinity Catholic College will be part of the show on the river's edge for this Friday's annual Lismore Lantern Parade.

Two local choreographers have been working with students to create a performance for the parade, telling the story of the Birdwing Butterfly and the Dreamboats.

Eddie Kay, a dancer from Scotland who has performed with DV8 Physical Theatre at Sydney's Olympic Arts Festival, and Daniela Finkenauer, a local hip-hop and salsa teacher, who has danced in Paris and worked with Spaghetti Circus, are choreographing the piece.

This is the first project for the Northern Rivers Dance Action Project, a Ausdance NSW initiative, which aims to support the local dance community and encourage dance participation in the community on wide range of levels. Events like the Lantern Parade dance performance may occur every year, building on the support generated in this year's project.

Other plans include events for the Herb Festival, workshops in schools, with youth, aged, disabled and village communities.

For more information, contact Emma Newman, Northern Rivers Dance Action Manager on 6622 0300.