Caligari ambassador for Carols

PETER Caligari OAM has been named the ambassador of the new Ballarat Carols by Candlelight.

As the long-time director of 3BA’s Christmas Appeal, Mr Caligari said it was a “great honour” to be invited to be part of the newly formed presentation, and a tradition very important to Ballarat families.

“When the announcement was made that the carols would not be continued, it was very disappointing,” he said.

“I’m quite sure that it very much became a generational situation, whereby years ago, parents who took their children along, those children are now going along as adults and so on.

“Whilst it was initially disappointing, it was also equally as rewarding to hear that Matt Hustwaite had put together a new committee and the Carols by Candlelight would be continuing.

“It would be a shame, for a city the size of Ballarat, for the residents to be deprived of a carols by candlelight presentation in those remaining days prior to Christmas.”

Mr Caligari was first involved in the city’s carols in 1985 on Christmas Eve at the Sound Shell.

“We maintained that for the following 15 years, and we only had a very small committee working then. It was Peter Morey, Connie Lemke, the late Ted Lewis and myself,” he said.

“They were wonderful nights. We got the best of our local artists every year to be featured, and the families absolutely loved it because they would sit on the grass there, on their rugs and chairs, with their flickering candles.

“It was really a great introduction to the Christmas festivities in Ballarat and a great opportunity for 3BA to say thank you to the Ballarat community for their support throughout the year,” Mr Caligari said.

Now, he looks forward to the evening of 22 December at the City Oval when the city gets singing, and the 3BA Christmas Appeal will continue to benefit.

“I think it will be a wonderful presentation. If the standard of the launch is an indication of what the carols will be like, they’ve got a very enthusiastic and excellent committee in charge.”