Good Morning, Good People of Tasmania

Peter Kearney is an internationally known voice in contemporary spiritual song. Two of his songs ‘Fill My House’ and ‘The Beatitudes’ are well known. Peter will be doing an extensive tour of Tasmania and visiting many communities and schools.

The school concerts are of course in-house shows but Peter will also be doing two public shows aimed at an adult audience while he is here. These will be presentations of his musical-narrative ‘Good Morning Good People’ on the life St Francis of Assisi.

Peter’s fascination with St Francis began in his early 20s when he borrowed a book about the saint from the town library. The irresistibility of the story about a wealthy young man who renounces his love of flamboyance in clothing and celebration of life to embrace ‘lady poverty’ is tantalising, especially to we of the material world. Such stories as St Francis pursuing a beggar to give him all his belongings and then being scolded for such reverse excess surprise us.

St Francis is considered by many to be the one who most closely resembled Christ. He is also a saint of firsts. He was the first to display the stigmata, the physical appearance of the wounds Christ suffered on the cross. On a more joyful level he is the first to evoke the image of the manger.

This radical change from knight in shining armour to the monk in robes, who would spend time with those who suffered from the most feared leprosy, was for 25 years the subject of Peter’s reflection and composition, resulting in the completed work ‘Good Morning Good People’.

In 1966 at Sydney University Peter met Father Ted Kennedy, the chaplain at the time. He mentioned to Peter that there was a niche for contemporary religious songs and the rest as they say is history. Father Ted, like St Francis, fully realised the meaning of the gospels when he began serving those who really needed him. He moved to the inner-Sydney Parish of Redfern and began working with the local indigenous population, some who were sick and homeless. It was here that he felt he was truly doing God’s work. Peter attended Father Ted’s church and so continued the friendship begun at Sydney University.

Like St Francis, Peter was drawn to the contemplative life but just like St Francis who was encouraged by Clare to choose the valley over the mountain it was Peter’s personal Clare, his wife Madge, who helped him make the decision to become a troubadour and minstrel. Peter as an artist still needs to retreat and enjoy that splendid isolation but he is very much involved in ministering to people with his music. Peter worked in the valley when he spent some time overseas as at the UK where he worked as a teacher. Peter worked in a poor area of Essex and found it was time away from the classroom in after school hours when he could minister with music and guitar play with his students that he felt he was doing the most good.

As Peter’s wife Madge is Irish he has also spent some time touring ‘Good Morning Good People’ in Ireland, one of the few places that still has thriving Francisan monasteries. He has been able to take the story of St Francis, the tale of the Italian friar, to the land of St Patrick. He found the national schools still with their saintly names to be smaller than other schools he has encountered and possessing dedicated teachers. The compact geography of Ireland enabled him to travel back and forth from concert venues in the same day- a luxury this Australian minstrel traveller enjoyed.

Peter is also very proud of being able to perform ‘Good Morning Good People’ at St Kevin’s church in the beautiful Glendalough in Ireland. This was place St Kevin attracted followers who founded the monastery that would endure for about 1100 years. To Peter this place has the savour of a special spirituality that St Francis’s mountain nature would have relished.

Peter is performing ‘Good Morning Good People’ in Tasmania at the following venues:

Hobart – Saturday October 15th, 7.30pm. St. Joseph’s Church, cnr Macquarie & Harrington Sts,. Hobart. Donation at the door

George Town – Sunday October 16th, 5.00pm. Our Lady Star of The Sea Church, Goulburn St, George Town. Collection taken before conclusion of concert

‘Good Morning Good People’ weaves story and songs to reflect deeply on the life of St. Francis. Peter accompanies on guitar. The presentation is synchronised with a PowerPoint presentation showing over a hundred images – mainly paintings and drawings – illustrating the various stages of the journey.
Paula Xiberras