‘It’s such an honour, I’m just a choral music person’
Under David’s direction, St. Paul’s choir provide a valuable service to the community
Sri Lankan born Australian citizen David Sansoni was recently honoured with the Order of Australia for his service to the community of Baulkham Hills in Sydney as conductor and co-director of the church choir since 2007.
A lifetime of theatre, arts and music provides a solid springboard, but it is the vital element of spirituality that gave David Sansoni the passion to take his church choir to new heights both in performance and its humanitarian efforts.
The Order of Australia, established in 1975, is the principal and most prestigious means of recognising outstanding members of the community at a national level.
Speaking to the Sunday Times on his visit to Sri Lanka earlier this month, he acknowledges that being awarded the OAM is an honour that means more because it comes from the people.
“I’m ever grateful that people invested time and skills in that process (of nominating him), it’s quite humbling. One feels so unworthy, I’m just a choral music person!”
St. Paul’s Anglican Church of Castle Hill does so much more than an average church choir, however. For 15 years the church’s pastoral team have become strong sponsors of organisations like Compassion Australia, an American priest’s mission to help children orphaned in the Korean War. Through St. Paul’s sponsorship programme over 1,000 children have been sponsored across Africa, with plans to partner with the Philippines where a dire need has been identified as well.
David Sansoni in Sri Lanka
Over 50,000 AUD has been raised through a donation box at the choir’s many events, leading to important humanitarian projects such as the contribution of a clean water system to a village in Africa in 2010. Mr. Sansoni notes that “that kind of service outreach is huge, as it’s not just one child and one family, but a whole community.”
After migrating to Sydney with his family in 1987, he eventually moved to the Hills District and joined the parish in 2000, taking over the mantle of training the choir in 2007.
Under his direction, St. Paul’s choir provide a valuable service to the community through their church events, such as seasonal musicals, Christmas, Easter, and a midyear fundraising event.
Although their basic ministry is to provide the musical upliftment on Sundays by leading congregational singing, it is always an interesting and fulfilling process, he says, particularly as they perform contemporary yet sophisticated music, rather than just old favourites.
“It takes a lot of work, it’s a lot of fun and something for the older folks to come and aim for. And they’ve all bought in,” he says fondly.
The choir is made up solely of volunteers, ranging from retirees and grandparents such as Mr. Sansoni himself, to various musical professionals, working folks and even a few young people. Some able to read music, some requiring a little extra help and patience, but all of them ready to pitch in the time, effort and their own money to put on each performance.
“However concerned we may be on the journey, God always blesses the moment. It’s incredible,” he adds.
Mr. Sansoni recently retired after an impressive 45 years in the shipping industry, 15 of them in Sri Lanka at Aitken Spence Shipping.
His involvement in the arts has been lifelong, starting very young in the choirs of his alma mater S. Thomas’ College and his home church of St. Francis of Assisi in Mount Lavinia. He recalls the good times doing radio jingles for advertising companies, amateur drama with schoolmates Rohan Ponniah and Steve de la Zilwa, and a particularly memorable turn at age 13 as Prince Chulalongkorn in a production of The King and I.
The arts took a backseat after the move to Australia, as Mr. Sansoni, his wife Karima and daughter Natasha had to establish themselves in a totally new situation.
“There was a conscious abandonment of distractions,” he explains. “Our focus was on what we had gone there for, which was to make a new life and to make the best of it and, praise God, we have.”
Even so the music never really left as Mr. Sansoni focused on his daughter’s musical education, and then circumstances led to him being asked to lead the choir.
The enthusiasm, care for the community and genuine love for what he does is unmistakable in every word.