The indigenous students, aged from 11 to 13 years old, spent all day yesterday rehearsing for the show, performed at the Mercy Theatre as part of the Murray River International Music Festival.

Written by the soprano, ‘Til the black lady sings in company tells the story of how Cheetham came to form Australia’s first indigenous opera – Pecan Summer.

Cheetham yesterday said she taught the students the repertoire and invited them to be part of the show when her opera company Short Black Opera visited Mildura last November.

“There are so many talented kids in rural and regional Australia,” she said.

“I’m sure these kids are very successful in a lot of different areas of their life, but performing arts might not be one where they’ve been able to shine.

“So it’s really important for us to give them an opportunity here to perform for their peers, for their community and to gain that recognition and have a really positive experience.”

Cheetham said there might be further opportunities for the students to get involved with the company.

“Pecan Summer is touring Australia over the next three years and if we see that there’s someone we can give an opportunity to from here in Mildura then we will bring them to Melbourne, give them some more training and take them on tour with us,” she said.

“The ongoing relationship these kids can have with Short Black Opera is really key to the success of the opera company because, in a few years time, one or two of these kids might look at the opportunity of training classically.”

The students got involved in the show through the local HOPE project – which stands for hope, opportunity, purpose and education.

HOPE project family practitioner Charlie Davis said the project was supported by the Federal Government and run through seven local primary schools.

“We go across seven schools throughout the district and we offer opportunities for the children – in school and out of school activities – and it’s around their social and emotional wellbeing and we try very hard to include families and community in everything we do,” she said.

This article appeared in Saturday’s Sunraysia Daily 28/01/2012.