In Memoriam Joy Parry

         I use to play for a mixed voice choir known as the Sunrise Choir. When I first started playing for the choir, it was directed by a wonderful Christian conductor: Joy Parry. Joy was originally from New Zealand and had formed a great relationship with the Maori community over there. In fact, she became an honorary Maori and became a personal friend to the Maori Queen. When she moved to Sydney in the eighties, she became involved with the Shell Folkloric Festival at the Opera House.
         Joy was born with only one hand, but that didn't stop her conducting the choir, or playing the organ in church, or serving in the Dutch community. She could have easily been an honorary Dutchy for all the work she has done for the Sunrise Choir and the Rembrandt Club.

         It took about 12 months from the time she was diagnosed with cancer till she passed away, the day after Boxing Day 2002. Joy battled with this disease for 12 months in a way that only demands admiration. Her husband Dennis had been in a nursing home for about 3 years and Joy was having chemotherapy through the year and in November 2002 she found out that it was all to no avail. Then in the same month her husband died. When Sunrise sang at Dennis' funeral she insisted that she wanted to conduct her choir. What courage and determination! But that has been the story of Joy all along.
         Her signature song was a Maori song  Tama Ngakau Marie . Take time to listen to it.