Choir standing up for harmony

A BELLARINE choir will sing in defiance of war in Ukraine this weekend as part of a Victoria-wide protest against the conflict.

Coryule Chorus will stage a one-off singalong in the centre of Portarlington on Sunday, joining a host of choirs across the state in a ‘Singing for Peace’ initiative.

Similar events will happen this weekend on Palm Sunday as part of the Walk for Justice for Refugees campaign, which includes a Melbourne march, and will this year have added significance as scores of Ukranians are displaced and become asylum seekers.

The Bellarine group will bring a peace-themed performance to the Portarlington rotunda and come wearing blue and yellow-coloured, hand-made decorations as a show of solidarity for victims of the invasion.

The group’s musical director Joy Porter said she hoped the modest protest would help foster a shared sense of harmony among local residents.

“Lots are singing at the Palm Sunday march in Melbourne for refugees, but it’s wider now in terms of Ukraine,” she said.

“I think you can unite people through song and you can send a message through song. All the songs we’ve chosen have a peace theme, and we’re going to sing a Ukranian song as well.

“We can’t do much, but what we can do is unite people through music.

“We’re not going to be doing a concert, but there’ll be people passing by, and hopefully we can spread the message that people can be united.”

The choir and its members are regular performers at Bellarine community events, but Sunday’s show will be it’s first pop-up, outdoor event.

Coryule Chorus is a four-part harmony choir based at Drysdale that has been singing since 2010 at Bellarine community events like Australia Day, Ocean Grove’s Anzac Day commemorations, Portarlington’s National Celtic festival and other local clubs in its 12-year history.

The choir’s Singing for Peace event is at the Portarlington Band Rotunda on Newcombe Street, Portarlington, from 11am Sunday.