This year I was asked by the Bermagui Chamber of Commerce and the Four Winds Festival to host/MC their Community Christmas Carols on the Oval Concert. Well, I was most honoured to be asked, but also, to be honest, a tiny bit anxious because there were several elements of the concert I couldn’t control. Am I a control freak? No, but getting people to sing along is slightly different to a performance – you have to be in control, but you also have to let go. It’s a fine line.

But, magically, everything seemed to work on the day – it had been threatening to rain all day, but by 6pm the sun started to peek through the clouds and by 6.30pm it was hot. There was no wind. The choir of 6 sang beautifully. The Bega District Brass Band played sensitively and well. The kids’ choir was extremely cute. None of my jokes fell flat, and everyone enjoyed the stories. Patrick Dickson did a brilliant rendition of Good King Wenceslas that went down spectacularly well. My solos with pianist Jaclyn Sloane were beautiful (others reported) and our version of the Twelve Days of Christmas – the Twelve Days of Bermagui – went down a treat.

Afterwards, so many people came up to say how much they enjoyed the whole thing – many who had been coming to Bermagui’s Carols on the Oval for years. But don’t just take it from me – here’s what people said:

“Dear Eliane
Carols on the Oval – Bermagui
I am writing to thank you for leading the Carols on the Oval last Friday. It was a triumph and one person commented that it was the best it has been for 14 years!

The reality is that the Carols on the Oval event is a time when people want tocome together to sing –  it’s informal, fun and family friendly. I think we got it right this year and folks really appreciated it. That was in no small part to you, your preparation and your wonderful singing, and of course the touch of glamour you brought to the event. It was an honor to be your backing singer!”

Yours sincerely

David Francis, Executive Director, Four Winds Festival

“I wanted to write how fantastic I thought the carols were tonight. Eliane is delightful: full of fun, beautiful voice, engaging and she set exactly the right tone. It was, in my view, by far the best Carols on the oval we have had in many, many years.”

Moira Scollay, Deputy Chair, Four Winds Festival