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19.05.2009: G´Day Mates!

G´Day Mates!

It's a loooooooong way from Finland to Australia. First 3 h to London, then 12 h to Singapore, then 7,5 h to Sydney AND then finally to Canberra, just 50 minutes... After all this my head felt so dizzy that I couldn't even remember that we were hanging down from our feet, head down on this side of the globe... I wonder if the Aussies can feel it?

In Canberra the work started immediately. Already during the first radio interview we could feel the festival atmosphere rising! Yeaaah! The atmosphere kept on rising when we started our balloon ride the next morning at 7 o'clock. Canberra was just waking up and we could see aaaaaall the beautiful autumn colours! It was also a nice way to get to know better where we actually were. The funny thing was that this really was a "concert"; our CD Out of Bounds was played as the audience was flying in another balloon... This is such a strange job sometimes...

For the next few days we had a chance of sharing our knowledge of choral and ensemble singing with the people at the ANU (Australian National University). The days went by really quickly. We met many enthusiastic and talented students as well as wonderful teachers and choir leaders. Special thanks or should I say "Speciell tack" to Olle!

On Saturday we took part in a marathon concert where actually we were the last ones to perform. Before us there was a very interesting project called Moth which was full of new energy! AWESOME! Thanks guys! We also had an opportunity to share the stage with a youth choir collected from local boy and girl schools. They did a great job with a Finnish Joik. Thanks again and remember to keep your minds open! "May the force be with you always!" Oh, and on Saturday we also met the first kangaroos! Poing-poing-poing....

On Sunday we got to sing in the best acoustics in Australia, or at least that's what we were told. :) The venue is Fitter's Workshop, an old glass factory where of the halls is now used as a concert hall. We sung without amplification and could thus present the "organic" side of Rajaton. The atmosphere was great and the hall WAS very good, so everything they told us about it is true – it's a wonderful place to sing. Thanks Fitters!

Now we've already landed in beautiful Hobart, Tasmania, but I still hear some echoes from the Canberra festival and it makes me smile. :) Thanks again to our guides Jill and Gabrielle and of course a special thank you to festival director Chris Latham. Hope to see ya soon again!

Dear diary and dear friends, you'll hear more about our Australian adventures as soon as we get settled here in Hobart and things start happening again. No worries!

Bbbbyeeeee:)
With love, Soila