THE McKERNAN BROTHERS and TIM O'CONNELL with special guest CHUCK STANAWAY

Geordie, Donal and Murray McKernan have lived in the Inverell area at Danthonia community for the past 6 years and have enjoyed playing traditional Irish and folk music as a family band since childhood. This is their debut performance with Tim (guitar and vocal) as a member of the band. Guest artist Chuck Stanaway (penny whistle, bodhran & vocal) has toured Northern Ireland several times as a member of a youth peace choir.

INVERELL MALE CHOIR

The choir was formed in 1994 under the direction of conductor Bruce Lee Chue. Its members enjoy singing at many social and charity functions and the choir has performed with distinction at several Eisteddfods in the North and Northwest. Highlights of the choir’s activities include singing in a concert with the Sydney Male Choir, performing with a professional singing group The Humming Birds, and recording a song on the CD entitled Music of the North. The choir is accompanied by Barbara Wigg.

SAPPHIRE CONCERT BAND

The band was started in 1995 by Peter Schumacher as a Schools and Community band. The current membership of the band, now directed by Mr Lee Evans, is predominantly from the local community – many of them learning a band instrument as adults. The Junior Sapphire Concert Band, directed by Geoff Croft, draw its membership from all local public schools and rehearses weekly. Students receive in-school tuition with the co-operation of the schools. Both bands are in demand for community performances such as Anzac Day, Carols in the Park, the markets, Sapphire City Festival and the annual “Battle of the Bands,” hosted in Inverell. Inverell.

LEONIE GARDNER

Leonie began singing as a child and at the age of 5 was singing solos at school where she had the lead in a productions of Finian's Rainbow and Oliver. Later in High School sang in the lead chorus in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in Canberra. She had singing lessons with Pat Davey and was then awarded an AFS scholarship to the Visual and Performing Arts School in Texas, USA. She has sung before large crowds at many churches and stadiums and travelled extensively interstate to perform. She has also produced her own CD entitled 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord' and is preparing a further CD to be released soon. Leonie also composes many of her own songs.

PETER SCHUHMACHER (Bb Clarinet)

Peter Schumacher has been performing publicly for 30 years, 17 of these being while based in Inverell. He is currently Music Teacher at the national FLAME award finalist Macintyre High School (placed in the top 40 school music programs in Australia – 2005). Peter has received a state government minister’s award for excellence for instigating and developing the Sapphire Concert Bands and is currently directing the Gem-Tones Stageband and Fossikers combined schools and community music projects. A past member of Maxwell Street blues band, his diverse musical tastes have seen him study Gamelan and Suling in Indonesia as well as ongoing performances in local and regional clubs with the Mahogany Frogs (70s to current funk R’n’B dance band. He is keen to associate his specialist instrumental teaching with the proposed Inverell Campus of the New England Conservatorium of Music.

WENDY CHAMPION (flute)

Wendy was the inaugural winner of the Professor David Cubbin memorial Scholarship for a talented flautist. She studied with Dr Danielle Eden, Leonie Khoury and Lamorna Nightingale, completing a Bachelor of Music at the Australian Institute of Music and graduating in 2005 with first class honours. Wendy has perfomed as a member of the Penrith Symphony and Sydney Youth Orchestras. She has over 60 students in Inverell and Warialda.

CRAZE DANCE ACADEMY Owner/Teacher Laura Harmer

Laura Harmer studied in both Sydney and Brisbane to obtain her Certificate IV in Performing Arts, Advanced Diploma in Dance Performance and her Teaching Certificate with the Royal Academy of Dancing. She teaches classes in RAD Classical Ballet, Jazz/Hip Hop, Modern/Contemporary & Tap. Laura also teaches dance as sport within the schools, choreographing group routines which are used in NSW Dance Festival and Croc Eisteddfod both at area and state levels. Students from the Craze Dance Academy have performed at Eisteddfods around the area with extremely good results. There are also an annual end of year productions, past successes including Beauty and the Beast and The Wizard of Oz.