Harmonia Mundi Australian Tour

In 2019, around 70 Wayfarers from Australia and around the world came together for an intensive tour centred on two major works by Judy Clingan: Harmonia Mundi and Fruits of Hope. The tour brought together the musical, educational and community aspects of Wayfarers - creating music on a large scale while sharing choral singing with schools and communities along the way.

Wayfarers from Australia and around the world descended on Canberra and then travelled to our accommodation and rehearsal venue near Yass, NSW. This venue had large common spaces in which to rehearse, but also for making music unrelated to the touring material (as well as just having fun). The accommodation was dormitory style, which allowed the musicians great opportunity to hang out and chat after rehearsals, and the free weekends were spent exploring the surrounding bushland and generally enjoying each other’s company. Whilst the two week rehearsal period was intense, it was also an exciting and energising time.

The first performance of the tour was to a large audience at Orana Steiner School in Canberra, which provided an excellent performance space. The following morning, we loaded the buses and headed south to Cooma, NSW, near the Snowy Mountains, where we were greeted by very cold and windy weather. There, we performed Harmonia Mundi alongside cultural works from the countries represented by the Wayfarers for the local community.

After spending the night in Cooma, we continued on to Mansfield, Victoria, where we performed and conducted workshops at Mansfield Steiner School. The Mansfield community was wonderfully welcoming and incredibly accommodating, making our time there particularly memorable.

From Mansfield, the tour continued into the Melbourne region, where the Wayfarers performed and led choral workshops at several Steiner schools, including Warranwood, Ghilgai, Little Yarra and Sophia Mundi. We then travelled on to South Australia for further performances and workshops at Mount Barker and Willunga Waldorf Schools.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the tour was the opportunity to sing alongside the students at these schools. In particular, sharing the morning song circles with them was a beautiful and memorable experience.

Throughout the tour, Wayfarers were afforded the opportunity to see a large area of eastern Australia - its towns, cities, and natural beauty. This was a highlight for many people who were visiting the country for the first time (and for those returning for a second or third trip). For several Wayfarers, winter in Canberra was the first time they had encountered frost!

The day after our last performance in South Australia, we said goodbye to each other with hugs, laughter (and some tears), feeling a little tired, but ultimately fulfilled and satisfied in the way only a good Wayfarers tour can provide.

• Visit Cooma: Waldorf Wayfarers HARMONIA MUNDI