Tutti’s Big Fringe Singalong

At Tutti Arts, learning disabled and neurodiverse artists create visual art, theatre, music, screen and dance, and experiment with art and technology. Tutti’s mission is to empower artists, by producing and presenting great shows, supporting Disability Led collectives, and supporting their careers. They are presenting three Fringe shows: You Ready for This? – The Sisters of Invention (a smash hit at the 2021 Adelaide Cabaret Festival), Electric Mash (an Art exhibition) and the Tutti one night only choir event, Tutti’s Big Fringe Singalong which I attended. Tutti’s first singalong event was held in November 2018, and if Sunday’s numbers are any indication, they have a huge and ardent following.

Tutti Arts has three choirs – Tutti Choir, Poco Tutti and The Gathering Wave – and Club Tutti, which is an informal singing group. They rehearse songs in a variety of musical styles and deliver uplifting performances that consistently share the messages of inclusion and diversity. The singalong choir is led by dynamic, warm and witty Musical Director Carol Young. The Tutti Choirs feature both disabled and non-disabled singers and have delighted audiences for over two decades with performers like Amy, who is a fabulous soloist, who has been singing with them for 12 years.

Tutti Arts’ Music program is far reaching and has three different streams:  Quirkestra (instrumental), Music Experience and Voice Specialist, plus Radio Tutti! Also led by Carol Young, Tutti’s Music also has artists who are invited to join the Voice Specialist program and work at an advanced level and perform regularly. The Radio Tutti group create and present content for Tutti’s online radio station.

The night promised a 60-minute show, but the energy and enthusiasm of the performers resulted in a longer, entertaining 12 song program that showcased people of all abilities and many disabilities to the hilt! Mention must be made of Cherie, whose animated Auslan skills meant that every song was broadly accessible. It was wonderful to see proud Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna choir member Jackie lead the Acknowledgement of Country with both passion and relevance.

Many choir members led the songs, with irascible Leigh, who was also the witty MC taking us straight into ‘This is the Greatest Show’, and for many, it was. ‘The Best Day of My Life’ was led by Jess and Johnno, full of personality, giving a heart-felt and very apt rendition of ‘What Makes You Beautiful.’

Media darling Dougie had the choir, and audience, rocking and in full voice for the rendition of ‘You’re the Voice’, while Leticia’s lead in to ‘Born This Way’ had us all smiling, but somewhat misty-eyed.

The musos were terrific, with two sets of drums, two electric guitars, a keyboard and a tambourine player filling the arena with upbeat music that accompanied this harmony choir at a very professional level. When I mention music, it would be remiss not to once again acknowledge Carol Young. Her compassion and deep, respectful relationship with every performer on the stage is a lesson in how to create an Arts environment where people’s talent is the measure of their worth. Each performer blossomed and shone, and importantly, had a ball, as did the audience. Don’t miss

The Sisters of Invention next weekend. It will be an uplifting and joyful event.

Jude Hines

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