Bondi Sings

Warm Up Your Winter

7.30pm, Tuesday 30 June 2026

Welcome to Bondi Sings ’first concert for 2026. We hope you enjoy the collection of songs we’re presenting tonight.

Thank you for your generous donations which go to the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. We’re proud to support them in their excellent work in making music accessible to children regardless of background or disadvantage.

Please enjoy the concert and stick around for supper. And remember – we always welcome new members.

MC: Tony Maynard

SONGS

Mantaku

Words & Music: Bill Davis & the Ernabella Land Rights Choir, 1985.Bass/Tenor harmonies: David Abello, 1988.

Narrator: Miriam Vera Barr

We sing this song as our Acknowledgment of Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Woollahra is located on the traditional land of the Birrabirragal and Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The word Woo-la-ra means both “lookout" and "meeting ground”. So we gather tonight on a traditional meeting ground.

Mantaku means ‘our land’ in Pitjantjatjara, and when Uluru was handed back to its traditional owners on 26 October 1985, the women of the Ernabella Land Rights Choir gave this song its premiere performance. Its final question shows very well how alien European ideas about property are in Aboriginal Australia.

Lyrics:

Kulilaya!Ngura nganampa manta wiru!Nganampa tjamuku kamiku ngura iritinguru.Kulilaya!Manta milmilpatjara tjukurrpa alatjituNyaku nyurra kulintjawiya?

Translation:

Listen to us!Our country is very beautiful.It is our grandfathers’ and grandmothers’ country from a long time ago.Listen to us!This is the sacred land of the dreamtime.Why do you never understand?

There were additional words spoken, in both Pitjantjatjara and English, during the Ernabella choir’s first performance of the song in 1985. Only the English version of this additional text is given in our performances, but both are given below.

Ngayalu alatji rawa wankapayiNganampa manta mantjintjawayiaNganana iluntjakutawara

I always talk like this Don’t take our country or we will die!

Yaltji yaltji ngayurutjamuDollartjara buyamellalpayi?

How can you buy my grandmother?

Caravan of LoveIsley-Jasper-Isley). Arranged by Kate Swadling and Christina Mimmocchi)

Caravan of Love is a song originally recorded by American R&B group Isley-Jasper-Isley in 1985 and was a huge hit. An a cappella cover version by the British band the Housemartins also became a hit all over the world the following year and launched the careers of band members Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook and Paul “Beautiful South” Heaton.

Homeward Bound (Marta Keen, 2017. Arranged by Jay Althouse)

Composer Marta Keen explains that her composition is about “Finding your true calling in life; knowing that those who love you trust that you will return … I wrote this song for a loved one who was embarking upon a new phase of life’s journey, to express the soul’s yearning to grow and change.”

Songlines of the Moonbird (Dyan Summers) / Menaye (Christina Mimmocchi)

Songlines of the Moonbird was originally sung by the Late Ronnie Summers (1944-2020). Uncle Ronnie was a songman from Cape Barren Island (Mannalargenna’s Country) and his book Tasmanian Songman, Ronnie(2009, Magabala Books) tells his story.

A moonbird is a muttonbird, the harvesting of which is a cultural tradition for Aboriginal Tasmanians from Cape Barren Island. The birds are collected for their oil, which has healing properties. Dyan wrote the song for her Late cousin Japanangka Errol West based on a poem he had written. His sending off was the first Trawlwoolway ceremony for over 160 years.

Menaye was written by Christina with Dyan providing cultural input and also consulting her Elders over pronunciation and context of words. The Language is Paredarerme which is no longer fluently spoken but which has contributed to the revival Language Palawa Kani. In 2015 Dyan, Ronnie and Christina together taught this and other songs in Language at the Cygnet Folk Festival and the workshop was recorded by the National Library of Australia.

Small Ensembles

Hallelujah Round Time (Miriam Vera Barr)

“With childhood abandonment I sing, ‘Oh Hallelu, oh Hallelu, oh Hallelujah Hallelujah.’

“The melody develops and I playfully dance in ‘circles’ of joy to a frenzy, singing and rejoicing filled with love for my Creator. I petition Him …

‘Let me soar like an eagle,

Sing like an angel

Sparkle like the stars above

To glorify your name.’

I developed this simple yet powerful word ‘Hallelujah’ into a performance piece for 25 dancers for the Australian Jewish Song Festival.

Now, a new exciting version for your ears to hear by my beloved fellow choristers of Bondi Sings. Enjoy!” MVB

Farther Along (Arranged by Gary Smith)

Farther Along is an American Southern gospel song of disputed authorship. It was probably written around 1910. The song has been recorded by many various artists since the 70s including first The Flying Burrito Brothers then The Byrds; Ike and Tina Turner; Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris and many others.

Barbara Ann (Fred Fassert. Arranged by Christina Mimmocchi)

A very popular song made famous by The Beach Boys, we sing this as a homage to the famous beach in our choir’s name. We also sing it for the great harmonies and great energy!

Loves Me Like a Rock (Paul Simon, Arranged by Kate Swadling and Christina Mimmocchi)

Soloists: Scott Henricks, Tony Maynard, Suzie Riddell

Loves Me Like a Rock was written by Paul Simon and recorded by him in 1973 with the magnificent harmonies of the Dixie Hummingbirds. The musicians were reunited in 2009 when they performed the song together on stage with a little help from Stevie Wonder. But his best version was with The Muppets!

Did somebody call for an encore?!

Ela Mome

Verse 1 of a Macedonian folk song with traditional harmonies inviting you to come to dinner. Learnt from the founder of the Natural Voice movement, Frankie Armstrong.

Singalong

Three Little Birds (Bob Marley)

Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright

Singing, "Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright"

Woke up this morning, smiled at the rising sun

Three little birds pitch by my doorstep

Singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true

Saying, "This is my message to you-ou-ou"

CHOIR

Musical Director

Christina Mimmocchi

Guitar Accompanist

Greg White

Sopranos

Miriam Vera Barr

Deborah Braithwaite

Louise FitzGerald

Aliza Jacobs

Avril Janks

Maree Lipschitz

Hazel Mockbell

Virginia Parsons

Brenda Seymour

Serene Tan

Altos

Nada Andrews

Debbie Brandon (absent)

Eva Busina

Aimee Coyle (absent)

Susan Davitt

Anne Gale

Annette Gardner

Katrina Graham

Jacquie Hilmer

Gina Hoffman

Jelica Pavlovic

Suzie Riddell

Phyll Sakinofsky

Emily Sinnot

Xandra Ulmer (absent)

Tenors

Steve Braithwaite

Max Bux

Peter Daly

Ross Feller (absent)

Scott Henricks

Trish McAlary

Paul Simmons

Bruce Woolf

Basses

Terry Alderton (absent)

Eddie Caples

Dennis Flaherty

Brian Hogan

Yohan Jeevratnam

Ross MacRae

Tony Maynard

Bondi Sings Committee

Scott Henricks (President)

Louise FitzGerald (Treasurer)

Susan Davitt (Secretary)

Tony Maynard, Virginia Parsons, Phyll Sakinofsky, Debbie Brandon (committee members)

Front of House

Michael Barr

Video

Tomas Mimmocchi

https://www.bondisings.com.au/