Sounds Alive! Director, Karen Smith, was the A cappella Director
of the 2003 Voices from Oceania Festival
Produced & staged by Warringah Council
Press


Karen taught a Combined Churches Tongan Youth Choir.
The choir was made up of children from ages 6 - 17



The children came together for 6 workshops which lasted 2 hours each.
A 3 part Gospel song was learnt and a multi part South African song,
especially written for the group by Valanga Khoza.

      

Karen's adult choir The Intonations attended two of the workshops
and joined the Tongan Youth Choir on the night.
This was a wonderful time of cultural exchange & friendship.

     


      


The finale of the event was the Combined Churches Tongan Youth Choir,
(which included several rap artists who were taught by Matt Peet)
& The Intonations who came together as a 60 voice backing choir
to a song by Karen's Funk R'nB band Soulidarity.
The festival was an uplifting & joyous celebration of
contemporary and traditional Tongan & Pacific Islander culture.