Let's Find Our Voice 2026

The spirit of community and companionship came alive last night at FCJ College’s Marie Madeleine Centre, as students, staff and community members gathered for the 2026 Let’s Find Our Voice concert, a joyful culmination of weeks of rehearsals, storytelling and the building of intergenerational friendships through music.

The Let’s Find Our Voice program brings together Year 7 students and local community members to form a combined choir that is as much about connection and belonging as it is about performance. This year also saw the exciting inclusion of students from our partner primary schools St John’s Primary School Euroa, St Mary’s Primary School Mansfield and St Joseph’s Primary School Benalla, joining FCJ College for the first time in this expanded collaboration and adding a powerful new dimension of regional connection to the program.

Hosted by Arts Captains Jayhe Lee Quattrocchi and Danni Kearney, the evening opened with a heartfelt Acknowledgement of Country, followed by a warm welcome from Principal Joseph Mount, who reflected on the powerful connections being formed through music and shared experience.

The evening featured a rich and moving program, including standout performances from the choir, alongside powerful solo items by Emily Snell (The Climb), Kieran Smith (Impossible Dream) and Hailey Turla (Go the Distance), each showcasing talent, courage and individuality.

A particularly moving segment of the night featured students presenting memoirs and readings, offering a heartfelt tribute to Deb Saunders and Beryl Scott, both members of the choir, who generously shared their life stories. These moments highlighted the deeper purpose of the program, creating space for storytelling, reflection and authentic human connection across generations.

The concert also featured the premiere of a short film documenting the journey to the performance, including choir rehearsals and interviews with participants and staff such as Catherine Burton, Joseph Mount and Adam Toms, who reflected on the significance of the program and its impact within the FCJ College community.

Adding to the richness of the evening was the support of FCJ College’s wider musical community. Current and past students performed alongside staff in the concert band, while the Tuesday Singers, a lunchtime group of students who come together each week simply to sing and share their love of music, once again brought their energy, warmth and enthusiasm to the stage. Their involvement reflected the enduring connections that music creates within FCJ College and the way informal music-making is just as powerful as formal performance.

To close the evening, the full choir and band delivered a high-energy finale with a medley of Queen classics. The audience clapped, danced and sang along, filling the Marie Madeleine Centre with an electric and celebratory atmosphere in a fitting conclusion to a night that celebrated courage, joy and connection.

Special thanks were extended to Mrs Catherine Burton and Mr Adam Toms, whose passion and leadership continue to shape this event into a cherished tradition at FCJ College.

As Principal Joseph Mount reflected, “I would like to acknowledge the shared leadership of Catherine Burton and Adam Toms. Their ability to create a safe, comfortable space where all are encouraged to explore the power of music as a vehicle to unite people is inspiring. It is what education is all about!”

The Let’s Find Our Voice concert once again affirmed FCJ College’s commitment to creativity, belonging and community wellbeing, and remains one of the most anticipated and meaningful events on the FCJ College calendar.

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