New documentary Wide Open Sky gives country kids in rural and remote regions the chance to shine

MACK Holz (pictured) is one of the breakout stars of Wide Open Sky, a new film about Michelle Leonard’s concept to create an outback children’s choir made up of young people from rural and remote regions.

FOR BEST WEEKEND USE ONLY UNTIL APRIL 16 Mack Holz in Wide Open Sky

MACK Holz used to dance on the roof of a corrugated iron shed. Now he moves along the smooth, polished floorboards of a real stage. With his angelic voice and keen desire to express himself, the 14-year-old from Lightning Ridge is one of the breakout stars of Wide Open Sky, a documentary that follows Michelle Leonard, conductor of Moorambilla Voices, an outback children’s choir made up of young people from the northwest of NSW.

The film’s director, Lisa Nicol, was so enchanted with Mack that she applauded when she first heard him sing.

“It was completely the wrong thing to do as a director but I didn’t know how he would sound and I was blown away by how pure his voice was,” she says.

Young Mack Holz stunned Wide Open Sky director Lisa Nicol with his angelic voice.

“I did totally fall in love with all the kids in the film. Country kids have a unique way of expressing themselves. They’re not as demanding as city kids; they’re used to
being more independent and getting less.”

The role of Moorambilla Voices is to give children in rural and remote regions the chance to shine.

“If the next great opera singer lives in the back of Bourke, how will you find them if they never have a go? Luckily they have Michelle,” Nicol says. “Childhood is meant to be wide open and full of possibilities ... Everyone should be able to have the same chances.”

Choir director Michelle Leonard with some of the kids from Lightning Ridge in Wide Open Sky.

Choir conductor Leonard lives in Sydney’s inner west, but she grew up in Coonamble and passionately believes in bringing music to remote communities.

She devised the concept of Moorambilla Voices in 2005 and each year since then she has travelled to the northwest, visiting all 78 schools in the region and conducting workshops and auditions. There are around 2200 schoolchildren in the area, and kids are selected for the annual program on both talent and leadership qualities. Each year culminates in a concert and some children take part year after year, continuing into the high school choirs. About one third of participants are indigenous students.

Michelle Leonard puts a young singer through his paces in Wide Open Sky.

For the documentary, Nicol followed Leonard for a year, from the auditions to the rehearsal camp and through to the final concert.

“Michelle pushes them hard. Pushing can be good for you. You can see the kids saying, ‘She thinks I can do it, so I can do it’, ” Nicol says.

“There’s a real thing about expectations and children; we underestimate what they are capable of. She sets them up to succeed.

Rehearsals get rather intense for some in a scene from Wide Open Sky.

“Just because they’re from the bush with no musical education doesn’t mean they are not capable of more.”

What makes this choir special is that it provides children with more than just music, also teaching them life skills and resilience.

“I think it can be life-changing,” Nicol says. “The bar is set high and they do get there. Going through that process, realising it requires hard work and getting out of their comfort zone, is a great learning experience.

Young choristers hang out in Brewarrina in a scene from Wide Open Sky.

“I think that’s a great life lesson for them. When they’re set up to succeed, they rise to that and can apply that to anything.”

Holz says the choir helped him realise he could have a career on the stage.

“When I dance, I feel like there’s sparks inside of me,” he says.

“My body just makes it happen. It’s like finding the right puzzle piece in a jigsaw — you just know that it feels right, it’s meant to be.”

Wide Open Sky is in cinemas now

Originally published as New documentary Wide Open Sky gives country kids in rural and remote regions the chance to shine