ALL good stories have unlikely beginnings.

This one began on the summit of Mount Kosciouszko.

The Sydney Windjammers, a group of enthusiasts comprising clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, trumpet and saxophone players have a Polish connection.  They were performing General Kosciouszko’s compositions on the summit as part of the celebrations surrounding the naming of Australia’s highest mountain (and as close to heaven as you can get in this country) by Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki.

Not a Pole myself but always keen to dip into other cultures I found myself playing clarinet to help bolster the numbers.

‘The Snowy Anthem’, composed by me for the Snowy River Shire’s centenary last December and performed by The Snowy Centenary Choir was also included in the program.

Helena Boden, a fine clarinettist who sat next to me on the mountaintop mentioned a wonderful movie called ‘As it is in Heaven’ showing at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne.

‘The next time you visit Sydney’, she said, ‘make the effort to catch this one. It’s about a famous conductor returning to his home town in Sweden and starting up a community choir.’

Could she be thinking of The Snowy Centenary Choir, I thought?

Co-incidentally I had planned a trip to Sydney to see Barry Humphries’ show ‘Back with A vengeance’ so decided to ‘make the effort’ and check it out.

Set in rural Sweden during icy winter and later Salzburg, Austria, the choir develops from humble beginnings to a standard where it’s able to compete for the title of top European choir.

This film is captivating from the outset.

Somehow uplifting yet dark at the same time as it portrays small town life, its interpersonal struggles, conflicts and resolutions with uncanny clarity.

The dialogue is delivered in Swedish and despite having to read the subtitles nothing is lost along the way.

Overlooked by the major movie houses it has out grossed ‘Titanic’ at the Orpheum and is now into its 31^st week!   

This film is a real gem.

Thank you Helena.

And thank you too for directing me to ‘the finest example of an art deco cinema in Sydney’ (National Trust).

The Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace should be a must on any traveller’s dip into Sydney.

Lovingly restored by Mike Walsh in 1987 it makes going to the pictures a heavenly experience. www.orpheum.com.au  


The Walsh Cinema. One of the six art deco cinemas at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace.

To see past ART ZONES visit www.pauldion.com  ‘Articles and News’.