If you’ve driven past Four Winds lately and thought, I should really get up there more often – this is your nudge. There are a couple of gatherings coming up that feel less like ‘events’ and more like the kind of things our community does best: music, stories, a bit of hanging around on the grass and bumping into half the people you know.

Barragga Yangga on 10 May

This major new work by Cheryl Davison and Djinama Yilaga brings Yuin songs together with classical music magic. At its heart is the intergenerational choir Djinama Yilaga, whose members have created new songs that reawaken Dhurga language into the present. Affinity Quartet will be performing alongside Djinama Yilaga, with percussion from Stonewave Taiko, voices from local choirs and the Bermagui Public School culture class, all held within a visual installation in the Windsong Pavilion.

These songs carry more than melody. They hold storylines of ancestors, Country and seasonal knowledge, from the lightning spirit Bundoola to the rhythms of whales returning with the wattle bloom, alongside reflections on family, memory and growing up on Yuin lands. Barragga Yangga will be an immersive experience, inviting you to listen, sit, gather and connect.

There are two performances on Sunday 10 May, at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm, with time in between to share food and be together under the spotted gums. Under 16s are free, and everyone is welcome.

A June long weekend with Andrea Lam and Friends

Over the June long weekend, Andrea Lam is back after winning plenty of hearts last time round. She’s bringing Andrew Haveron (Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra) and Umberto Clerici (Chief Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra) with her, forming a trio of piano, violin and cello. Between them they’re about as good as it gets. From their big careers and big stages, they bring us something more intimate and up close in a room full of people really listening.

They will play three concerts across the weekend, all a bit different, so you can go all-in or just dip your toe. Expect everything from the big classical names (Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert) through to the lush and moody (Debussy, Ravel, Shostakovich), plus a few turns you might not see coming (Gabriela Lena Frank and Piazzolla).

It’s the kind of experience that reminds you how lucky we are to have this on our doorstep. There will be food and a bar, so you can make an afternoon of it. Or a whole weekend, if you’re doing it properly.

Flick Ruby

Photos: (above right) Djinama Yilaga and friends, (above left) Andrea Lam and friends.