Southern River College students have spoken of their pride after representing Gosnells at the Australian Chinese Youth Music Concert in Perth.
Eleven students from Years 9, 10 and 11 performed alongside a children’s choir from the Fanyi Music Academy in Guangdong Province, China, singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Jasmine Flower’ for a concert that will be broadcast to more than 150 million viewers across southern China in November.
Hamida Mohammadi, a Year 9 student, said the chance to perform was unforgettable.
“I was so shocked to find out that we were the only school in Western Australia that was invited to perform alongside the Chinese performers,” she said.
“There are a lot of privileged private schools who have probably been teaching Mandarin for so many more years than us. But we were chosen, and I feel so proud: we did that.”
Hamida said the experience felt different from the pressure of competing in the Chinese Bridge Competition earlier this year.
“It felt relaxed, easier, and like I was a part of something bigger,” she said.
“I loved having our own private dressing room, and feeling all the excitement and bustle offstage. I felt like a celebrity on a movie set, with everyone doing their makeup, organising their costumes, and practising their performance with nervous energy.”
Mandarin and English teacher Lauren Hamilton also took centre stage as one of the evening’s emcees, delivering the program entirely in Mandarin. She admitted it was a challenge, given it is not her first language.
“Honestly, it was quite challenging emceeing it in Mandarin, since it’s not my first language – and the beautiful script written for me was Shakespearean-like in its prose, use of metaphors and idioms, and complicated vocabulary,” she said.
“However, I knew it would be good to push myself out of my comfort zone. This televised concert was not only an invaluable experience for my students, but for me, it was about continually improving my language skills as well as showing the world what Southern River College is capable of and how far we’ve come in just four years of offering Chinese studies.”
Ms Hamilton said seeing her students on stage was one of the proudest moments of her teaching career.
“Mandarin is by no means an easy language to study, so seeing my students – all who were selected because of their passion for Chinese language and culture – have the courage to stand up on stage in front of what will be hundreds of millions of viewers was probably the highlight of my career so far,” she said.
The medley of ‘Jasmine Flower’ and ‘Waltzing Matilda’ brought two iconic songs together on one stage. Ms Hamilton said it gave students a deeper appreciation of the cultural symbols behind the music.
“Jasmine Flower’ is a symbol of Chinese culture, often associated with peace, love and purity, while ‘Waltzing Matilda’ represents resilience, a spirit of rebellion and pride in the Australian identity,” she said.
“Getting to perform these two songs alongside their newfound friends from China provided students with a deep sense of shared pride in their own and each other’s identities, pasts and dreams.”
Hamida said seeing the dedication of the Chinese choir inspired her to keep learning and aim high.
“The little kids were so talented – for them to know the complex ‘Waltzing Matilda’ song, a long song with advanced English words, was amazing,” she said.
“It inspired me to want to try hard to learn the saxophone, an instrument I’ve always wanted to play. If these little kids can travel the world through their music, then what’s stopping me from trying the same?”
The concert, organised by the Western Australian Guangdong Association with support from the Australia China Friendship Society of WA, was attended by Acting Lord Mayor of Perth Bruce Reynolds, City of Canning Mayor Patrick Hall, Member for Tangney Sam Lim MP, City of Gosnells Councillor Emma Zhang, and Acting Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Perth Wang Fengzhong.
Councillor Zhang said she was proud to see Southern River College representing Gosnells on stage.
