The enchanting melodies of Pamela Walker OAM will resound throughout Parker Estate in Coonawarra this weekend.
Ms Walker’s remarkable compositions will once again take centre stage. Many years after her musical journey began in Penola, she has and left an indelible mark on the lives of countless musicians and singers from the region.
A multi-talented artist, Ms Walker was not only a gifted composer but also a dedicated vocal teacher, accompanist, and choral director.
In 1993, she founded The Southern Heritage Singers, a choir that became an emblem of the Penola Festival.
For over 25 years, the choir delivered captivating performances, weaving Ms Walker’s compositions with the words of esteemed poets of the South East, such as Adam Lindsay Gordon, John Shaw Neilson and Max Harris.
Sadly, Ms Walker passed away in 2021, leaving behind a treasure trove of musical brilliance.
To ensure her legacy endures, former student and dedicated singer from Mount Gambier Naomi Summers, pictured right, has taken the opportunity to bring Ms Walker’s music back to life.
In 2022, Ms Summers created The Close to Home Project, a project that has created a space for artists to share what is close to home for them.
The inaugural concert received a warm reception in Melbourne, where some of Ms Walker’s music was performed for the first time outside South Australia.
Ms Summers grew up in Mount Gambier and began singing at an early age, first meeting Ms Walker when she was in the school choir in Year 4.
Years later, Ms Walker was her first singing teacher and Ms Summers was immediately invited to become a member of the Southern Heritage Singers.
Over the years Ms Walker nurtured and encouraged her students to find their own voices and for Ms Summers, that meant relocating to Melbourne to pursue university studies at the Melba Conservatorium of Music.
Since relocating to Melbourne, Ms Summers always answered the call from Ms Walker to come home and perform, as Ms Walker would say ‘once a Southern Heritage Singer, always a Southern Heritage Singer’.
The close to home concert promises an afternoon of sublime artistry, featuring an ensemble of exceptional talents, Soprano Ms Summers will be joined by internationally renowned dramatic contralto Liane Keegan and mezzo soprano Juel Riggall and pianist Isaac Mouskovias, ensuring this an unforgettable musical experience.
This Saturday’s 2pm concert will not only honour Ms Walker’s legacy but also stands as a testament to the power of music to bridge time, distance and hearts.
