A big week for Stephanie Harrison - a new baby and winner of the historic Centenary Anthem Competition! Pic: Katelnd
Alice Springs musician, teacher and composer Stephanie Harrison has won the Northern Territory Centenary Anthem Competition!
Not only that, this week Stephanie also gave birth to her first baby, and found out she had won the competition just as she was going into labour!
Minister for Arts and Museums Gerry McCarthy announced Stephanie as the winner of the Centenary Anthem competition, congratulating her “also for giving birth to a baby boy this week”.
Titled ‘Stand As One’, Stephanie wrote the anthem imagining Jessica Mauboy as the singer, backed by the Darwin Chorale, Darwin Symphony Orchestra – and ukuleles!
The Chorale and Symphony Orchestra did perform Stephanie’s winning Anthem for the first time at a special ceremony at Parliament House, at 9am on Friday July 1st, marking the Territory’s Centenary celebrations.
As 2011 is the Northern Territory’s Centenary Year, the theme of the Competition was ‘100 years of the Territory, over 50,000 years of stories.’
The Centenary Anthem Competition was launched by the Northern Territory Government and Music NT in April, to find an official anthem for the Northern Territory.
“Territorians have responded tremendously to the call to find the Territory’s anthem and more than 120 song entries were received from across the Territory,” Minister McCarthy said.
“It was terrific to see entries come in from all over the Territory from professionals to amateurs to school kids”.
Raised in Alice Springs, 25 year-old Stephanie Harrison is a well-known Central Australia musician.
She is co-composer and assistant musical director for the Cat’s Meow Cabaret; plays with Alice Springs band The Silver Bullet Rollers; has worked with NT government program the Road Safety Song Contest teaching music workshops, recorded with independent reggae music label Rude Cat Records in Brisbane, and plays guitar with the Desert Divas.
Stephanie Harrison with baby Tanami. Pic: Oliver Eclipse/NT News
Stephanie was reportedly overwhelmed upon hearing the news of winning the Anthem Competition and the $10 000 prize money.
She said in the NT News, “It’s been a bit of a crazy week.”
The Centenary Anthem Competition was open to NT residents.
The judging process was coordinated by Music NT with the final decision made by the NT Government.
A huge thank you and congratulations to everyone who entered the competition – over 120 entries were received from right around the Territory!
Read more about the Competition and Minister McCarthy’s announcement.
See more pictures of Stephanie on the Music NT Forum. And read more about her big win here and here.
Words: Megan Spencer. Source: Milyika Scales, Music NT, NT News & NT Government media release.
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