Why am I writing this?

Because I believe young voices and young audiences deserve great, engaging new music that is relevant to them and tells their stories. 

The Story

The story takes place in a sleepy coastal Australian suburb, where the local children discover that the giant Moreton Bay Fig tree in the park is enchanted, with a secret doorway amongst its cavernous roots that leads to magical wonders inside. However, when the tree gets sick, it becomes apparent that someone in town has poisoned it. With local adults busy and distracted, the town's children must band together to find the culprit before it's too late to save their tree and all who depend on it.

How will it work?

It's a one-act show for which I'm writing the music and libretto, with input from the young singers of Yarra Voices themselves facilitated by internationally acclaimed theatre maker Julie Ritchey. Thanks to the generous support of several patrons through the Australian Cultural Fund, we exceeding our funding target and ran a development in October 2025 with the goal of trying out music with the singers, creating text together, and filming documentation for applying for future grants. Below is a video that encapsulates some of what we worked on.

What’s next?

I am continuing work on the opera ahead of the next development in early 2026. We are continuing to apply for funding for future developments and staging the Opera in 2027. If you would like to be part of our story, donations are possible via the button below.