LATEST NEWS

Carmel recently made a quick trip to Melbourne in May to sing at her friend George's birthday party.  Some years ago while traveling around WA he and his wife Mary bought one of Carmel's recordings - 'Songs of the West' from a tourist bureau at Wave Rock, Hyden.  They continued to play it for the rest of their trip. They have become great friends with Carmel and are her No 1 fans in Melbourne.   

Singing at George's
party at Trawool in Victoria

A new music resource entitled ‘Out of This World’ is now available.  It is an exciting collection of 16 catchy original songs that were composed to entertain and educate children of our history and heritage, health, precious resources, unique fauna, environment and citizenship/values.  

The pack includes  a double disc - Vocal CD and an instrumental (backing) CD and a Teacher's Manual containing music, guitar chords, harmony lines, percussion parts and suggestions for use.    All songs encourage active participation.

Carmel has previously produced 5 CD’s including ‘Precious Water’ for the Western Australian Water Corporation to educate children on the value of water in their ‘Waterwise’ schools program.  She is regularly commissioned to compose songs for schools and special events.   

Songs include: Water More Precious than Gold, C. Y. O’Connor I Wish You Were Here, Respect, Numbat,
                          We Don’t Smoke, Out of This World (Looking back at and appreciating our beautiful planet from outer space) 
                          Christmas in Australia, Goodbye Beethoven  (In a light hearted way you will learn about some of the terms
                          that are used for the parts of a  symphony.
                          Up Down South (In the Noongar language ‘up’ on the end of a word means 'place of')    
                          Horses Coming Home (160,000 horses were taken to the 1^st World War.  Due to quarantine regulations they were
                          unable  to return.                                                                        
                          Coolamun Baby (A dreamtime Lullabye) by Maxine Fumagalli       
                                  
Your song about CY O’Connor is fabulous, and it was a real honour and pleasure to work with you.
Julie Doyle – Music Specialist - Holy Spirit School, City Beach 

We have  been investigating space over the term so the obvious topic for our assembly was space.  As soon as the children heard 'Out of This world' they voted unanimously to use it.  It is a beautiful song which was easy both in tune and words for the children to pick up and run with.  if I had only one sentence to describe my feelings as they performed your song I would have to say they were 'Out of This World'. Gail Westlund - Woodlands Primary School

Carmel is heading to the Gold Coast in July to present a workshop for teachers entitled:  Out of This World - A New Music Resource.  Educational songs to compliment primary school curriculum and  energize learning activities.

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Carmel's recent CD 'Calling My Name' a tribute to St Mary MacKillop is a much requested album with requests and re-orders coming from all around Australia.  It comes out of an admiration for what she did and what she stood for, Carmel said.

The beautiful didgeridoo playing on the track comes from James Webb. 

For more information please email carmel@carmelcharlton.com

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Other CD's by Carmel

Whispers on The Wind

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The beautiful video clip of Horses Coming Home

 'Horses Coming Home' on youtube

is a moving tribute to the soldiers and horses of WW1.  In 1914 a small boy at Bakers Hill saw soldiers and horses going by train to Albany, Western Australia.  The convoys took 160,000 horses to the first World War.  Only one returned.  Due to quarantine regulations they were either put down or left behind.  That boy was Frank Smith.  He later gave me his poem that I set to music.  The footage is courtesy of the Australian War Museum in Canberra.

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Carmel songs are often heard on the ABC's 'Australia All Over' program. Songs that have been featured are  'Up, Down South', (that mentions many Noongar Aboriginal place names ending with 'up' from the southwest of Western Australia)

 'Back to the Goldfields' and 'My Nullarbor Home' (that is also a track on 'Macca's Sunday Best CD.)     

 

Carmel takes her shows to country areas of Western Australia.  She performed at the opening of the Australian

Mallee Fowl Centre in Ongerup.  Her 'Up Down South' song was a hit with the audience. John Williamson who is 

Patron of the endangered Mallee Fowl performed 'Mallee Boy' to a very appreciative crowd.

 

Reviews:

'Her voice, her versatility and banter with the audience and stories relating to the songs had me completely engaged – it flowed so effortlessly.  I'll definitely be at her next show". Toni Italiano (Recording engineer Pet Rock Studios Kiara, WA)

 

Carmel Charlton, our feature artist, came all the way from Jackadder's Music Club in Perth to play especially for

us at the Bunbury Performer's Club.  What a performer she is.  Fabulous singing, sort of like a West Aussie Eva Cassidy, delicate fingerstyle acoustic guitar, piano and some beautifully crafted original compositions.  Carmel loved getting the audience nvolved with songs like "Pokarekare Ana" and "I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore".  Her original material

included "Up Down South" - Co-written with Pat O'Leary, "Back to Brookton" - a poem from a friend set to music by Carmel and "Goodbye Beethoven" a light-hearted look at the rigid structure and endless analysis of classical

composition.  Carmel left everybody uplifted and extended an invitation to anybody interested in performing at

Jackadder's.  Peter Blankendaal