The Court’s beer garden is pulsating with energy. People have turned out in droves to hear some music by the feminist pop choir “Henge Queens”.

Following a beautiful Welcome to Country the choir assembles in segments - gorgeous individuals diverse in presentation and costuming take the stage, women and non-binary folk just keep coming to make up a resplendent ensemble of 24 people! An Auslan interpreter accompanies them and her presence only enhances the presentation of the group because she commits to interpreting the emotion of the songs with both passion and conviction.

The music starts like a heartbeat calling out to the community; “Hold me sister let me hold you.” It would not be possible to comment on each of the performers individually due to the size of the group however as a collective they are powerful, connected and have a healing effect through the catharsis of their music.

Each performer bravely embraced their time to shine as they broke into small groups to perform beautifully arranged covers such as Lizzo’s “Juice”. There was great attention paid to the blending and complimenting of voices and the choral conductor did an excellent job of leading the group. With enthusiasm, fellow choir members hyped the performance from sidelines, dancing in solidarity and genuine enjoyment of the freedom that music brings.

While the covers were highly enjoyable, what was most moving was the second segment of the performance where the choir sang songs that local songwriters had written specifically for them. Possibly the most striking of these was the song that the choir concluded with that they all co-wrote with Boorloo star Lucy Peach. The song communicates what people want and what they are willing to give. There were tears when song lines such as “I want my doctor to listen to me” and “I want to not have to look over my shoulder” were sung.

The audience was impassioned and responsive throughout and at the conclusion of the performance we were left with a sense of how powerful the arts are in uniting people and generating change.

This performance showed that when women and non-binary folk are enjoying community safety and connection, the collective euphoria that can arise is unique, special and sacred.