I think most people have a set of light-bulb moments in their lives – that moment where you hear something for the first time, especially something you didn’t know was even possible. My first light-bulb moment happened a little over 20 years ago, although it didn’t have a very auspicious beginning, when I went along to an audition in Walsh Bay. As there had been a preference for a song by an Australian composer, I sang Clancy of the Overflow. It was going quite well until half-way through the second verse, my mind went blank and the whole thing came to a rather disappointing conclusion. After some ear tests and sight reading, I hopped back in the car feeling more than a little flat.

Several weeks later and much to my surprise, I learnt I had gained a place in the 2001 Gondwana Voices season, where the choir would be singing for the nationally broadcast Centennial Ceremony. A little nervously, I arrived at the rehearsal season in the Lane Cove National Park, not knowing any of the 99 other choristers, and not having much of an idea of how to tackle the scores in the music folder. But the light...