The host of ABC’s Gardening Australia, Costa Georgiadis, will join the ABC Classics choir to sing the O Christmas Tree carol in 12 Indigenous languages for the first time ever.
The Christmas carol has been given new lyrics by Georgiadis’ co-star Clarence Slockee and ABC Classic presenter Amy Bennett, with different dialects from Indigenous communities around Australia.
The carol includes references to plants and the Indigenous seasons from elders and communities.
Cultural protocols were undertaken to ensure different Indigenous communities were visited to seek permission to use their language of place in the English carol.
Georgiadis, who plays saxophone with the More Please Orchestra in Sydney, was one of many other household names and ABC viewers who submitted a video of themselves singing the carol.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the project brought back childhood memories for Georgiadis when he used to carol in Sydney’s Greek community. He also encouraged everyone to listen to this new Christmas carol rendition.
“The fact that all these random people were singing the language of the land, it’s a milestone moment,” the Greek Australian gardener said.
The unique rendition of the Christmas carol will feature on Gardening Australia’s Christmas special on December 16 at 7.30pm.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
