It’s been five years since musical maestro, Pietro Fine, founded Northern Rivers’ community ensemble, Orkeztar Lizmore?: A mixed abilities ensemble that plays tunes from around the world (including Australia). Since then, this growing band of twenty-plus members has been going from strength to strength, including playing at and HonkOz and Illawarra Folk Festivals.

You can always expect a smorgasbord of songs from ‘OrkLiz’ (as they are affectionately known) – anything from Klezmer to Rock, Jazzed-up-Folk, Middle-Eastern, African-inspired music and more. Some tunes are timeless whilst others may be contemporary originals. Playing with a love of music and aspirations of equality and comfort for all creatures upon our planet, the Ork’s repertoire often includes songs of protest and awareness, mostly (but not always) instrumental.

Last performing in Nimbin in 2014, the Ork will do their multi-cultural thing again at the Nimbin School of Arts in November, this time in tandem with local lovers of Americana folk, Black Train. Fronted by ‘the Reverend’ Kim McLean, Black Train play ol’timey hillbilly and early Gospel style tunes with traditional combo of banjo, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, fiddle, double bass and, of course, vocal harmonies.

Black Train are teaming up with OrkLiz for the Ork’s annual concert in this year, the seventieth anniversary of folk hero Pete Seeger’s iconic protest song, If I Had A Hammer. Both bands embrace, as did Seeger, the power of song by the people and for the people. On Sunday 24th November (just after the monthly market), they’ll combine to present a finale bound to bring the house down, including a new up-tempo version of the Hammer song rewritten by Pietro Fine to suit our contemporary era of climate change concerns. They’ll also play in Lismore on the following Friday 29th November.

Keep an eye out around town for posters advertising the gig or check out social media or this website www.orkliz.org for up-to-date details.