Brace yourself for blast off Sunshine Coasters. A Journey into Time is set to premiere at The J, Noosa for a one-night only rock music journey into time, space and within yourself.
The 24-song soft rock opera was deeply influenced by the music of Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Leonard Cohen.
Noosa retiree, Dick Whittington, 69, wrote it in just 10 days in 1981 when he was a 28-year-old, father-of-two, mining engineer living in south-east British Colombia, Canada.
“I just started with this inspiration about wanting to write a series of songs about man’s journey into space, so it’s as much an opera as it is a rock concert,” Dick said.
“It was just one of those creative moments in life… and, as I had no ambitions at the time to have it performed, I promptly put it into my song book folder and consigned it to the bottom drawer where it gathered dust for 41 years until (daughter) Sarah said: ‘Dad you’ve got to put this on the stage before you kick the bucket’.”
The former mining CEO-turned-muso and philanthropist has no formal music training, he just plays what he hears in his head and his heart.
Dick said, “Music is the salvation of our soul. It’s a wonderful, peaceful, colourful medium that unites everyone in the world – it’s performed in all languages and touches people of all race, creed and genders. The magic is it’s all derived from just 12 notes.”
Dick’s career as a mining CEO took him from Canada to Mexico, Papua New Guinea to Arizona and finally to Poland (2019) when he retired. His 12-string guitar, a gift from wife Gillian when they were first married, accompanied him the whole time while the music and songs were rattling around in his head.
At Sarah’s insistence, Dick took the first step towards seeing his rock opera vision performed on stage in December 2021.
A visit to Music Noosa and JamPot Studio’s Tom Johnson, led to a collaboration with Tom and several talented Coast musicians who will be performing the rock opera on stage: Dave Barrie (acoustic guitar), Josh “Pricey” Price (lead guitar), Nick Rivers (electric guitar), Brian Grose (bass guitar), Geoff Gill (drums), Stan May (saxophone and flute), Dylan Curnow (lead singer), Madison Levi (female singer) , Amanda and Morgan (back-up singers) and the Cooran Community Choir with Linda Perham.
Gen Douw, Cooran Community Choir said the local music ensemble was thrilled to be performing at The J alongside professional musicians.
“I encourage stepping outside one’s comfort zone and that’s what we’re doing as a choir in this unique project, so we were delighted when Dick approached us some months ago. I can’t wait for 10 August!,” Gen said.
In the final act, Act IV, ‘The Odyssey Continues’, the astronaut is in a new solar system by himself, facing the reality that he’s all alone with no way back to Earth.
“He is not alone, however, because music now fills his soul and his spirits soar to the heavens. He is complete, content and at peace with the universe,” Dick said.
Dick and Gillian are entirely funding the staging of the performance and 100 per cent of ticket sales will go to two local charities: The Salvation Army (Noosaville) and Katie Rose Cottage Hospice.
“I’m thrilled Dick is going to put his rock opera on stage after all these years but, more importantly, it’s a real privilege to be able to put on a charity concert for the two charities that I volunteer at that are dedicated to supporting local people in their hour of need,” Gillian said.
Event Patron, Sandy Bolton MP said, “With the increased hardships being experienced by even more residents in our community, the demand on our organisations continues to grow, with Katie Rose alone requiring $2 million each year to provide end-of-life care.”
“Until governments provide fairer funding models for these essential services, extra support from our community is needed, and what better way than enjoying a night with music written in the style and manner of Pink Floyd and many other favourites from our past!”
Katie Rose Cottage Hospice Head of Fundraising Leigh McCready said, “As a primarily community-funded hospice, we rely on word of mouth and the generosity of our supporters, like Gill and Dick, to support our ongoing nursing expenses and ensure our guests have best in class end-of-life care. We’ll also be running a raffle at the event and look forward to meeting everyone who will be attending and thanking them personally for their support.”
The fundraiser has a $20,000 target and guests will be able to make contributions at donor desks in the foyer of The J. Tickets are selling fast, secure your seats online now and support locals in need of your help.
What: A Journey into Time – a soft rock opera
When: Thursday 10 August at 7.30pm
Where: The J, Noosa
Tickets: $39 book online thej.com.au 100 per cent of ticket sales go to the Salvation Army, Noosaville and Katie Rose Cottage Hospice.
