Barrier Reef Orchestra (BRO) - Formal Launch of the 2009 Concert Program
8 February 2009
Councillor Les Tyrell, OAM, Mayor of Townsville,
Councillor Jenny Lane,
Distinguished Guests,
Family and friends of the orchestra,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Girls and boys.
First of all, in the spirit of reconciliation that we wish to see fully expressed in our State and throughout Australia, I acknowledge, with respect, the traditional owners of the land on which we are gathered, the Wulgurukaba and Bindal people and their descendents.
I am delighted to be here this evening. With the torrential rains flooding North Queensland, we were not sure that we could get here. However, we flew in from Brisbane this morning and shortly after were able to travel to Ingham, by helicopter, to see the situation there, to express sympathy and solidarity with the people affected by the floods and to thank the emergency workers and others working so hard to deal with this disaster. It then wasn't certain that we could fly back into Townville, but the marvelous pilots did a great job and so I have been able to keep my commitment to be with you on this special occasion.
This is my third visit to Townsville since becoming Governor. Sitting in various airports today, I was counting up the number of times I have traveled north since I became Governor: this is actually my seventh visit to North Queensland in the six months that I have been in office, three times to Townsville, three times to Cairns and once to Charters Towers. I am very pleased about that, because it is consistent with the commitment that I made when I assumed Office that I would visit, not just occasionally, but regularly, as an expression of the importance of this part of the State.
While my previous visits here were focused on business and education and science, on this occasion it is the performing arts that I am here to support, in my role as Patron of the Barrier Reef Orchestra under the auspices of the North Queensland Ensembles. This patronage - gubernatorial patronage, as they say - like the orchestra itself, is relatively young. It was assumed by my predecessor less than two years ago, in 2007. The Governor obviously receives many requests to be patron of various organisations - on my last count I had accepted 151 such invitations, and there are more under consideration, with undoubtedly more to come. Acceptance is not, as you might suppose, automatic - there are some I have declined. However, when I was approached by the Secretary of North Queensland Ensembles last year - (he was quick off the mark, Alan; he wrote that letter within days of my swearing on the 29th of July, with the letter hitting my desk in August), asking me to consider maintaining the connection established by my predecessor, I can tell you that my decision was quickly made, for several reasons.
My own love of music and the arts was a factor, but it wasn't the determinant. The opportunity to add another dimension to my North Queensland engagement was also very important to me, but beyond that there were two things in particular that caught my attention and which more than tipped the balance. Firstly, there was the organisation's commitment to the promotion and the performance of quality classical music and other forms of music that Annette mentioned a few moments ago. This fits very well with my own vision to promote excellence in our State in all fields of endeavor. Secondly, and most important of all, what counted was the very strong community character of the organisation, and its extraordinarily inclusive approach.
Often the arts can be seen as remote, detached, separate from mainstream life - something exclusive, for the minority, not for the majority. This orchestra, however, was founded by and in the community, and even as it has grown and developed over the past nine years it has retained that character and ethos. You have heard that from every speaker this evening, and you know it yourselves as the people of Townsville. It is something that I find absolutely admirable, and indeed wonderful. Reading and hearing about the orchestra, my attention is caught by many expressions of this community character. I look at - and like - the way that it is made up of locally based and principally non-professional musicians. I look at - and like - the way it is using players who are students at local schools and at the JCU and giving them that wonderful springboard to the future, through music, through the orchestra. I look at - and like - the way it is playing at community events, I look at - and like - the way it is reaching out to other parts of the north, particularly Cairns and Mackay, but I know also elsewhere. I look at - and like - the way that it is working in collaboration with other organisations and events (and Annette listed some of those) such as the Australian Folklore and Concerto Competition, and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, with which I also have a particular connection.
It is also great - not just good, but great - that the orchestra doesn't just draw funding from Government bodies. It is supported by the Council, and I thank you Mr Mayor, long may it continue (we're good friends, so I can tease, but he knows I mean it!). Also, very importantly, it is supported by a range of community groups and service clubs. That sort of support anchors the enterprise firmly, giving many, many more people ownership of it than just the musicians and the music lovers in our midst, and thus making it an even more valuable resource.
I am precise in my use of language, and I chose that word "resource" very deliberately. Usually it is a word that people associate more with the world of finance, mineral deposits, agriculture and crops or people - as in "human resources management" - much more than with the arts. But the arts, too, represent a valuable resource for our communities, for our State and for our country. And the arts need nurturing, they need protecting, and they need developing no less than any other sectors.
It is the mark of a mature society that it values creativity and the arts. I was interested that one of the earlier speakers this evening used the word "health", because I, too, believe that the arts contribute in a very unique way to the health of our society, providing pleasure, relaxation, solace, and relief from stresses and strains. If we ever needed such relief it is now. Before coming here tonight, I watched the news - with the images of devastating fires in Victoria (and a total to this point of 65 people dead, with fears that the number will be much higher), of the floods covering 62 per cent of our State and comment about the global financial turmoil, which is buffeting us from all directions and squeezing funding. So we need relief and it is a good time for us all, not only to pause and seek some respite, but also to remind ourselves that the arts shouldn't be the first area to be cut in times of pressure and crisis. In some respects they should be the last, because it is enormously important that we maintain the arts as a vital part of our community, that we remind ourselves that even in adversity, that we can find, indeed we must look for and create - the way this orchestra creates - moments of pleasure; and that amidst all those pessimistic prognostications there is always cause for optimism and there are always things to look forward to and to enjoy.
I am sure that all of you, like me, are looking forward to tonight's program, and now we have just been given the outline of the 2009 season - including with a few surprises still in hand - that you are looking forward, as I am, to the year to come.
The word "profile" was mentioned also earlier this evening. I can assure you that as its Patron, I will do my best to support and promote the Orchestra and to raise its profile within Queensland and beyond, as a fine expression of the energy and the creativity that is helping to reshape and redefine our State as a modern, mature, dynamic and progressive place to live, where encouragement and enjoyment of the arts is part of our way of life, and a significant factor in ensuring the quality of that life.
I congratulate everyone involved with North Queensland Ensembles and with the Barrier Reef Orchestra and I wish you all a most rewarding and enjoyable season in 2009.
Thank you for your attention.