Winning recipe for Cherry Jam

IMAGE: Murringo Public School students joined others spending months rehearsing for the Cherry Jam performing arts project including the video released last week.

It may have been the back-up plan for 2021 Cherry Jam biannual two-day concert organisers, however the release of a ‘Never Give Up’ performing arts video last week was just in time.

The concert had been in planning since the beginning of the year, with COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown always in mind.

The organising committee planned the recording video, featuring over 200 students from the Hilltops Organisation of Public Schools singing and dancing different parts to the same song.

The contributing schools are Maimuru, Murringo, Monteagle, Young, Young High, Young North and Wombat public schools.

Young High School Music Teacher Nyree Job said in retrospect, the organising committee are happy they went down the path of recording the five minute video.

“When we started planning this, the video could possibly be the Cherry Jam finale given social distancing rules even if the concert weren’t ahead,” Mrs Job said. “Even though we were all a part of this one project, students learnt their parts and never came together for the project.”

Mrs Job said it was a collective project with all school Principals, Mark Corkery from Young Regional School of Music, Music Head Teacher Ms Susan Wilkinson, Miss Nibre from Young High, Miss McIntosh from Youth North and Videographer Brandon Sheppard.

“It was a huge collaborative effort. It’s something really cool for a small town to put out,” Mrs Job said.

“I hope the kids look back on it and are proud of themselves.”

The Cherry Jam ‘Never Give Up’ video is available from the schools’ websites and Facebook pages.