This February, PubSing is hosting two special events in Castlemaine to raise funds for the Harcourt community following the recent fires.
When the first event on February 6 sold out in 24 hours, they figured they’d better host a second event… on Saturday, February 14, because… well, “PubSing Hearts 4 Harcourt”.
The local PubSing organisers have been running community singing events at the Taproom and the Fringe Festival for the past seven years, and have recently started running events in Bendigo and small communities in central Victoria.
A couple of years ago, PubSing were invited to do a gig in Rochester as part of the flood recovery program. Grateful to be able to offer a bit of relief and some joy for the small rural community that had been through so much as a result of a devastating natural disaster.
PubSing organiser Marion Yates said witnessing some of the tough country blokes up the back of the pub singing along to ‘You’re the voice’, eyes glistening with emotion, was a deeply moving experience.
“There is a unique sense of togetherness and connection that develops amongst the crowd through singing together in a big group; it is often quite a powerful emotional release,” Marion said.
“After the January 9 fire, we knew immediately that we wanted to offer something similar for Harcourt and other fire-impacted residents, and extend that to our whole community, who are feeling the devastation in different ways.
“Singing together is a powerful way to gather, connect, release some of the emotion we are all feeling, and send some love to our friends in Harcourt,” she said.
“We would like to honour the incredible strength and capacity of the Harcourt community and acknowledge that Harcourt knows what Harcourt needs. All funds raised will go directly into the Harcourt community.”
Aptly, the three leaders will be leading the group in a special arrangement of the Hunters and Collectors anthem ‘Throw your arms around me’ for about an hour and a half, and then the group belt it out together.
The iconic Australian rock ballad is often requested as a song for PubSing, but Taproom owner and long-time drummer of Hunters and Collectors, Doug Falconer, who has previously felt reticent about it, graciously gave the group the go-ahead for the fundraisers.
“Doug and Jacq (Taproom owners) are deeply connected with the Harcourt community personally and through the local small business network, and along with so many local businesses have been directly impacted by these fires – losing 80 per cent of stock in the Coolstores,” Marion said.
“We feel that the refrain ‘throw your arms around me’ is really appropriate and captures the sentiment of huge love and support coming from across our whole community for Harcourt and surrounds after the devastation of the fires.
“Together, we will throw our arms around Harcourt.”
PubSing Hearts 4 Harcourt – Throw Your Arms Around Me at the Taproom, Walker Street Castlemaine from 7.30pm to 10.30 om on Saturday February 14.
Book at www.trybooking.com/DIWDO
Fire-impacted residents and local CFA volunteers are warmly invited to attend for free.