Perth Voice Interactive

MORE local performers than ever will take the ‘stage’ of St George’s Cathedral for this year’s performance of A Dickens of a Christmas.

In its fourth year now, the tale of Scrooge, Tiny Tim and his family feature in a one-night performance at the cathedral.

Director Anthony Howes says “this year the production has been specifically developed to include more of Perth’s professional performers”.

One of Perth’s youngest actors, 11-year-old Leo Brown from the Midnite Youth Theatre Company, is stepping into the little shoes but big role of Tiny Tim, and the 40 voices of the Phillips Chorale along with the Royal Agricultural Society WA’s Brass round out the musical accompaniment.

It’s on this Sunday December 6. Tickets are $25 adults and $12 concession with tickets from http://www.trybooking.com/GIUX.

All proceeds go to buy street swags for homeless people.

THE folk from St Johns Lutheran Church have been working for months preparing to roll out a Christmas tree festival in Northbridge.

Their exhibition aims to plant a kaleidoscopic forest of Christmas trees, made from curious materials and each with a symbolic Christmas message.

The display’s on now until December 9 at the church at 16 Aberdeen Street, open from 10am to 3pm with the public invited to wander through for some quiet reflection during the Chistmas rush, and it’s all free.

The church is also putting on a Cinderella Christmas Pantomime “with a twist or two”, with organisers promising drama, fun, and music (not hymns, promise). It’s also free and no booking needed, doors open 7.30pm for pre-show Christmas treats.

KIDS from the Mt Hawthorn primary school choir will lead the singing at this year’s Carols in the Park. The youngsters will get everyone warmed up with four carols then musicians from the Mt Hawthorn Community Church and Mt Hawthorn Baptist Church will lead the show.

There are carol booklets and candles available for a gold coin donation, and that money goes to the chaplaincies of Churchlands and Mt Lawley high schools, and you can BYO picnic from 6pm with the tunes running from about 7- 8pm on Sunday December 13.

HANDEL’S Messiah will get interactive when members of the public sing along in a special Christmas performance at the Perth Concert Hall.

In a quirky twist, Joe Public can pay extra to be in the Christmas choir, which will get to sing four of the 17 choruses.

No audition is required, but the dress code specifies “no plunging necklines please!”

“Everyone who has come along to sing has been really good, and thankfully we have never had anyone who is tone-deaf,” laughs conductor Margaret Pride.

“We have five rehearsals with the Christmas choir to ensure everyone is in good shape.”

Dr Pride, who hails from Winthrop, is one of Australia’s leaders in choral music and was musical director of choral studies at UWA for nine years and the WA Symphony Orchestra Chorus for eight.

“It will be a very dramatic rendition of the Messiah and will feature top international soloists,” she says.

The oratorio was written in 1741 by George Frideric Handel and first performed in Dublin a year later. It initially received a cool reception from the public, but went on to become one of the most popular and frequently performed choral works in western music.

“Every solo is a masterpiece and it is very tuneful and accessible to the layman: I think that’s why it has enjoyed such longevity and popularity,” says Dr Pride.

Handel’s Messiah will be performed by the Perth symphonic chorus—with a little help from the Christmas choir—at Perth Concert Hall on December 19.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK 

THE owners of Benelli Shoes may hail from China, but that can’t be said about the footwear.

Five staff design, stitch and fashion about 600 shoes every year at the company’s Osborne Park factory. It’s the only WA shoe company to manufacture shoes locally.

The Voice went on site this week as Shop Small Month comes to a close.

Cutting leathers is Vu Nguyen, who’s worked there almost from the very beginning. “I’m part of the furniture,” he laughs.

Behind him, working, is the boss’s son, Ace Pang, who says the family never considered moving production to its former homeland when it was bought from the founders in 2013.

“Australian-made means quality,” Mr Pang says.

There were concerns the family would import, says sales worker Lizette Van Huyssteen. But those fears were unsubstantiated.

“They run a real West Australian company,” she says, beaming.

Designer Jorge Bernal, an Argentine native, came on board with the company in 2013 after working in high-fashion and on movie sets in New Zealand (he made Orlando Bloom’s boots for The Hobbit).

He says it’s better to invest in niche markets, saying they are able to offer specialised and personalised products.

Compared with his South American homeland, WA has less to offer when it comes to locally made items, he says.

Shop Small Month ended last week.

by EMMIE DOWLING

CLAIMS of “havoc” during a count of votes have prompted former Bayswater councillor Michael Sabatino to take the embattled WA electoral commission to the court of disputed returns.

The council veteran lost his central ward seat in October to Sally Palmer, with Cr Chris Cornish re-elected to the ward’s other seat. “Central ward was different to the other wards in that there were five candidates vying for two spots on council,” Mr Sabatino says.

“It’s more complicated, yet it took only an hour and 20 minutes to complete, when it usually takes about three or four hours.”

He says his scrutineers reported to him that “something went terribly wrong” during the count.

He believes the count was rushed and got “complicated and piles were mixed up” after about an hour.

An insider told him he and Ms Palmer had both been frontrunners when electoral officers who had finished counting other wards joined the table to help out.

“Then havoc took place, according to the scrutineers,” Mr Sabatino says. “They told me it was irregular. They couldn’t see what was happening because there were so many hands on the table. It was hard to identify what votes belonged to whom.

He had asked for a recount on the night, but was told the WA local government act didn’t permit it.

Mr Sabatino says he’s not seeking to reclaim his seat, but in the interests of “justice and transparency” wants it looked into.

He understands it’s the first time in local government history a candidate has appealed an election decision through the courts.

Cr Palmer, Cr Cornish and the WA electoral commission did not respond to the Voice’s calls before deadline.

The court will hear the matter on December 11.

by EMMIE DOWLING

COMPLAINING about Sharia law might give Reclaim Australia the shits, but they’d better hope that’s not literally.

The right-wing movement’s supporters flooded the City of Perth Facebook page with one-star reviews this week after being denied permission to set up portable toilets and food stalls at the rally at Solidarity Park, on Sunday November 22.

About two dozen scathing reviews sprung up, complaining that rangers prevented the stalls being set up. The posts massively outnumbered the regular reviews that week (which usually just talk about how nice the river is, or how there’s not enough parking).

The rally had been to protest issues like sharia law, the sale of land, and the proliferation of 457 visas with no skill tests.

Rallyers say they had permission for the rally itself, but they didn’t think to organise permits to set up stalls or portaloos.  Reclaimer Jeremy Strange posted: “with a rally being held and you guys denying us food toilets and water…you have shown us that you do not think we are entitled to rally for our beliefs.

“Why would you do that. There were kids and elderly people there. Disgusting city of Perth. You breached a duty of care.”

Others went further, pointing out it was a scorching day and saying: “This is a clear breach occupational health and safety as well basic human rights!” Kim Will posted, taking time out from posting more than 10 anti-Islam articles a day on Facebook to write the review.

“City of Perth council is good for bugger all!” Danny Fitzgerald claimed. “Left wing scum they are. Would not supply toilets on Sunday or let organisers supply their own! Hope they enjoy the smell of piss on the sides of buidlings and every second tree.”

We contacted Perth city council to ask why the Reclaimers couldn’t get a dunny but did not hear back.

by DAVID BELL