Two acts played the Wytaliba Community Hall on Sunday night as part of the Australian Festival of Small Halls. It was the 20^th of 20 gigs in a tour stretching from Tasmania up to northern New South Wales, always in small and often remote venues.

But usually not as small and remote as this. The producer of the show, Eleanor Rigden told The Examiner the response of a full house of about 100 people was “ecstatic”.

“We’ve never done anything that remote. We’ve played in remote towns but they’ve always been towns. Last night, there was no phone reception and barely a proper road.”

One member of the audience said it built into a crescendo. The hall is not large – between 50 and 100 people – but it was full. And the area is diffuse with homes dotted through forest, but it is a tight community which turned out in force.

The show featured the Canadian duo The Small Glories and the Australian chanteuse, Claire Anne Taylor.

The promotional blurb said: “The Festival of Small Halls is a locally driven music tour bringing high-quality live original music to small towns across Australia.

“Each Festival of Small Halls tour is a collaboration between community groups, councils, state bodies, international musicians and other stakeholders.

The festival producer, Eleanor Rigden, said the tour offered more than just a rare opportunity for towns to access a high standard of music. 

“This kind of arts production can improve social cohesion amongst locals, and help attract visitors to small towns”.

“This particular project goes even further to empower communities. Each show has the distinct brand of the hosting town.”

The tourof small halls started inTasmania and finished in northern NSW. It may be one of the most likable ideas to come out of the music business.

The Small Glories are revered in their native Canada.

And now in Wytaliba.