Dr John Lhotsky recorded music Ngarigo women sung in Monaro area

Renowned local Aboriginal art Cheryl Davison formed the choir in 2019 in her capacity as Four Winds Aboriginal creative producer.

Speaking from Sydney Airport on Tuesday, May 9, Ms Davison said the visit to Poland is for the Ngarigo Polish Exchange.

"Ngarigo is our grandmother's ancestry from the Snowy Mountains," Ms Davison said.

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The choir is part of a delegation to strengthen relationships with Poland through its involvement with Koscuiszko and its dual naming.

"We are going for ten days and we have been invited because we are working in our own language."

In 1834, self-described Polish naturalist, lecturer, artist and author, Dr John Lhotsky, travelled from Sydney and wrote detailed descriptions of the Monaro region and Snowy River.

While he was there he recorded music sung by the Ngarigo women.

Djinama Yilaga has learnt one of the songs and will perform it in Poland.

Since appearing at the Four Winds Music Festival in Easter the choir has been busy.

On Thursday, May 4, they sang with the touring choir from Timor-Leste, Koru Lian Timor at Four Winds and on Saturday they performed at Narooma Oyster Festival.

In late April they travelled to the Northern Territory for Big Sing in the Desert, a four-day singing camp run by Rachel Hore and Morris Stuart.

Mr Stuart is choir master of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir which is drawn from seven remote communities.

"We got to meet Morris and a lot of those ladies and spent a week with them," Ms Davison said.

"We have made some life-long friends and we hope to raise money to go the Desert Song Festival in September."

Shortly after they return from Poland they will head to Canberra.

"We have been invited to Parliament House to sing for the national Reconciliation Breakfast on May 30."

Ms Davison is passionate about reviving the Dhurga language of the Yuin people.

"We have had so much of our culture and cultural practices taken away but this is something we are regenerating.

"It gives us a sense of place and identity.

"We are Yuin people singing in our own language and to us that is very important," Ms Davison said.

She said the fact that their elders have recorded and preserved their language is "priceless".

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