Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Wednesday 24 June, at Ballajura Community College in the electorate of Cowan, Choirfest took place again this year. This excellent annual event brings together a number of choirs from the Ballajura and Alexander Heights suburbs within the electorate Cowan. The schools involved include Alinjarra Primary School from Alexander Heights, Ballajura Community College, Ballajura Primary School, Illawarra Primary School, South Ballajura Education Support Centre, South Ballajura Primary School and Dianella Heights Primary School. This is an outstanding annual event where the performing arts—in this case song—are put out there into the community. The performing arts programs in the schools that I mentioned within the Cowan electorate really are of a very high standard.

The choirs of Illawarra Primary School and Alinjarra Primary School were supported by the Ballajura Community College Intermediate Band. Ballajura Primary School had their choir there, as did South Ballajura Primary School. The Ballatonix, which is the Ballajura Community College choir, were also there and the Dianella Heights Primary School choir performed as well. Guest performer Bernardine Grigson performed Pete Murray's Opportunity. The South Ballajura Signing Club and the all-schools choir performed to round out the program.

I would like to thank the people that made the event possible: Asha Goves, All Choir's leader and performing arts specialist at Ballajura Primary School; Helen Southerland, All Choirs leader and music teacher at Alinjarra Primary School; Tegan Borstal, music coordinator at Ballajura Community College; Silvana Ferrara, music teacher at Illawarra Primary School; Natalie Harney, education assistant at South Ballajura Education Support Centre; Lyndell Miller, music teacher at South Ballajura Primary School; Jenny Quigley, education assistant at South Ballajura Education Support Centre; Pasqueline Stynes, music teacher at Dianella Heights Primary School; Holly Ballam and James Fazio, presenters at Ballajura Community College; Patrick Boyle and Kaitlin Stoeckel, sound technicians, from Ballajura Community College; and Louise Moore, who did the artwork and design, from Ballajura Community College.

Congratulations to all those involved with Choirfest, a great part of the Cowan electorate.