Resonant Heart, a performance at Castlemaine Town Hall on Saturday 21 March, brought to mind a cartoon I saw many years ago by Judy Horacek who is now best known for illustrating Where is the Green Sheep. It featured (if my memory serves me correctly – I can’t find it online) two panels that sort of mirrored each other: in one was a man building a bomb, in the other panel a woman sat at a pottery wheel. Under each panel it said, “create, create, create”.
Featuring two artists from Iran as well as Indian, Balkan, Sudanese and Sephardic Jewish influences, the all-female Resonant Heart seemed firmly planted in that second illustrated panel. While the destruction of war continues in Iran, these glorious musicians provided an antidote in music, poetry, dance and puppetry.
Starting with a dancing sun and continuing through stories about sunflowers and resilience in the face of unrequited love, a theme of the day seemed to be: life goes on. Between songs, they spoke of vulnerability and gentleness, providing a reminder that these qualities can be strengths. This collective of musicians from disparate places (with diverse and considerable talents) also showed the power of what can be achieved through cross-cultural collaboration. The dancing was mesmerising, the voices passionate and the music was so uplifting that it inspired a standing ovation. Bravo!
Later, and also part of Castlemaine State Festival’s wonderful musical program, Parvyn Singh and Josh Bennet played a rousing and enjoyable set to a receptive crowd at Maldon’s Holy Trinity Church. The venue created a divine environment in more ways than one, with coloured light through stained glass at dusk and the sounds soaring under the steep ceiling. Cross-fertilisation of cultures was again richly evident as Josh played sitar and Parvyn played guitar… and when they busted out the konnakol (Indian spoken percussion as in thake- thakita) during an otherwise pop-style, melodic song.
Parvyn’s words continued the thread of creation in the face of destruction: “Places like this, environments like this, give us hope. The sign on the fence (of the church) says Hope. We hope that love, hope, can infiltrate the world. It’s why we do what we do.”
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 27 March 2026.
