Judith Durham farewelled at state memorial
Judith Durham, the lead singer of The Seekers, has been farewelled at a state memorial with tributes from her bandmates, family, and fellow musicians, as well as the performance of an unreleased song featuring her vocals.
The memorial was held on September 6, just over a month after Durham passed away at the age of 79 following complications from chronic lung disease.
Band member Athol Guy unveiled the song, Carry Me, which was written by fellow Seekers member Bruce Woodley, during Tuesday night’s service to honour Durham.
"This song is now our collective gift to share with you tonight as we celebrate Judith's magnificent gifts to us all," Guy said.
"May it carry her safely on the rest of her journey."
He said the song was written for someone needing inner peace.
“That’s probably the space that a lot of us are in as we’re here tonight.”
Other musical tributes, mainly hits from The Seekers, came from Durham’s sister Beverley Sheehan, The Wiggles, Dami Im, Vika and Linda Bull, David Campbell, and Deborah Cheetham.
The Georgy Girl singer’s nephew, Tony Sheehan, spoke on behalf of the family at the service, saying that Durham’s mother had wished her daughters would not be tone deaf.
“She got her wish,” he said to laughter from the audience.
Sheehan said his aunt was always destined to be a musician, having told her sister as a child “that one day, she’d sing on all the stages of the world”.
He went on to describe her as a deeply generous and optimistic person, even when faced with death.
“Judith faced death as she faced everything: with calm and strength,” Sheehan said.
“We will miss you but we are so proud of you.”
Durham’s sister and fellow singer Beverley recalled their love of music that had been shared since childhood.
“We'd [sing together] early in the morning and my father would have to come in and say: 'that's enough, your mother can't sleep'," she said.
She went on to perform The Jelly Bean Blues, accompanied by jazz band The Syncopators.
"This perhaps could be the hardest thing I've ever had to do," she said.
Guy, Woodley, and fellow The Seekers bandmate Keith Protger each took to the stage to share their admiration for Durham.
"It's a real surreal experience for me, standing on this Hamer Hall stage without Judith," said Potger.
"We shared triumphs and adventures on this very platform.
"You're not really gone, because your picture is on my wall and your boundless spirit and love will be in my heart forever."
Woodley praised Durham for her “bravery and single-mindedness” as she continued to perform even while battling serious lung disease.
“Her bravery and single-mindedness in overcoming the enormous physical obstacles that life threw at her has always been an inspiration to me," he said.
"Quite often, the boys and I would hear her in her dressing room coughing her heart out a few minutes before a show and thinking to ourselves, 'there's no way she's going to sing tonight'.
"Wrong."
Guy said the band hoped to celebrate their 60th anniversary at Hamer Hall as initially planned, before introducing Carry Me.
"Here's our last song together," he said.
Images: Judith Durham Official (Facebook), Victorian Government