By Luke Voogt
Lara’s Tess McBurney “wasn’t nervous at all” when she made her solo singing debut – at age four.
Her mates at the Geelong Youth Choir had her back on stage when she sang a favourite from The Lion King.
“I knew all my friends were behind me and they gave me a lot of support,” the 12-year-old said on Tuesday, ahead of the choir’s upcoming concert.
“I was Simba and my brother was the bird – it was really fun because we all got a part to sing.”
Tess followed her three older siblings into the choir, which has about 60 singers and in 2018 celebrates its 30th year.
“I always looked up to my big sisters and brothers,” she said.
“They were singing and I really wanted to get into it because it looked like they were having a bunch of fun.”
Now the choir was “like a big family” too, Tess said.
“I like how you can just go there to sing and you don’t really have to worry about what other people think.
“I’ve been in a few shows and being in the choir really boosted my confidence.”
Tess dreams of being a singer when she’s older and has already scored a few musical theatre gigs at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre.
She played a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz and was part of last year’s production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
She urged aspiring singers, even toddlers, to give the Geelong Youth Choir a go.
“You’re never too young to sing,” she said. “(The choir) really offers that experience for little kids.”
Tess will sing alongside fellow chorists and Melbourne folk band Hello Tut Tut at an international music concert at Club Italia 4pm on Sunday.
The choir helped children enjoy “music for the rest of their lives” whether they chose it as a career or not, musical director Denise Hollingworth said
“Many of our members have grown up singing in the choir, so there is a lovely community feel.
“It’s fantastic to see their skills and confidence develop… to the point where they can pick up a piece of music and sing it at sight, or create their own harmonies to their favourite songs.”
Hollingworth encouraged locals to help keep kids singing for “another 30 years” by sponsoring the choir at patreon.com/geelongyouthchoir.
Tickets are available online at trybooking.com/book/event?eid=367341& or at the door.
