Twilight aid for orphans

By Kath Gannaway
A NEW CD by Warburton musician Mick McIvor is helping build houses for Aids orphans in Africa.
Mr McIvor, a gospel artist who has three albums to his credit, wasn’t planning on a fourth CD when he put a few tracks together to test out new computer software.
Twilight Waltz an album of instrumentals with a Celtic flavour resulted from a session he describes as turning into “a bit of a monster project”.
“I thought I would punch out a few instrumental tracks and because I did it at home I got the family and a couple of friends involved,” explained Mr McIvor, who said they decided to go the extra mile on the advice of a trusted friend.
“We got it professionally mastered and did all the things you do to get out there. Now it exists and is selling.”
Mr McIvor’s association with the River Valley Church in Millgrove, where he was creative arts director for four years, is behind part of the proceeds going to the WATOTO project in Uganda.
While he describes himself as a gospel artist, Mr McIvor said “gospel” is more of a convenient label for his music.
“You could hear a lot of my stuff and say ‘what’s gospel about that’,” he said.
“It describes a world view I happen to subscribe to and it gets represented in the attitude and way I write, and the way it comes across.”
It is represented also in the $10 from each CD, which will help raise the $20,000 the River Valley Church has committed to the WATOTO project.
Through Watoto volunteer teams from around the world construct homes which house eight children, mostly aged between two and 12 years old, and a ‘house-mother’.
Watoto Children’s Villages include clusters of the homes, a primary school, water project, medical clinic and a multipurpose hall for use as a church and community centre.
Twilight Waltz can be bought for $25 on-line at www.wonvoice.com.au or from the River Valley Church office in Millgrove and is due to be released to local shops soon.