Work
Nyiirun Yiiga (We are here) : for SATB, Community Choir, Yidaki & Percussion
by Nicole Smede (2025)
Score
Nyiirun Yiiga (We are here) / Nicole Smede.
Library shelf no. 782.554/SME 1 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
Nyiirun Yiiga honors the Dangaygal ancestors who have cared for Country, songlines, and community through song, dance, and relationship since the beginning. Rooted in the Gathang language of the Worimi, Biripi and Guringay peoples, this work proudly declares: We are still here. Singing, dancing, laughing, loving, and celebrating language, resilience, and identity alongside our First Nations brothers, sisters, and allies who honor our strength.
Commissioned by the Canberra International Music Festival's A Major Lift program, Nyiirun Yiiga is a personal journey of revitalising my ancestral language and culture in a way never before experienced by my communities. Hearing the voices of many - both mob and allies - singing these words in Gathang, filling the concert hall with the language of my ancestors, was profoundly moving. One participant said, "For me, hearing my ancestors' language resonate through the Hall was an experience I will never forget."
The impact extends beyond the stage. Singers and audiences shared reflections such as, "The soul of your people and country was so present in the music and the words. I really got the joy and pride you all feel in still being here and keeping your culture alive." Others were transported by the Gathang words and music, recognising language and song as vital carriers of story and connection across generations.
With gratitude to the festival, mentors, community, and donors, Nyiirun Yiiga is both an artistic expression and an act of cultural preservation, storytelling, and healing. It invites us all to listen, remember, and proudly proclaim: We are here.
Work Details
Year: 2025
Instrumentation: SATB voices, choir, yidaki, percussion.
Commission note: Commissioned by Canberra International Music Festival.
First performance: by Eugene Ughetti, Mark Atkins, Kompactus Youth Choir, Ngarrgan Mirriiyn, Wamburang Choir, Mudjingaal Yangamba — 4 May 25.
Performances of this work
4 May 25: featuring Eugene Ughetti, Mark Atkins, Kompactus Youth Choir, Ngarrgan Mirriiyn, Wamburang Choir, Mudjingaal Yangamba.
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