Bringing Hope & Light to Carols by Candlelight

Carols by Candlelight is the largest annual fundraiser for Vision Australia’s children’s services – supporting kids who are blind or have low vision, and their families, to live the life they choose.

This year will feature Brisbane composer and Vision Australia Ambassador Donna Dyson who has written a piece entitled ‘Light Up the Year’.

Donna Dyson told me that composing a song for Carols by Candlelight was a real honour and a privilege.

“If you were to hold up a list of things that you wanted to write and compose, if you love Christmas, this has to be on your bucket list” says Donna.

After a difficult couple of years, Donna wanted to encourage and bring hope and light to people as we head into 2022.

“I just hope that this song when people sit and hear it really feel something much more than the concerns about whether or not they’ll have everything ready for Christmas table the next day or whether they’ve wrapped all the presents or whether they’ve forgotten about great Aunty Mary’s present.

“I hope that they forget all of that and can be very much in the present and receive this gift as a total present”.

Donna began working with Vision Australia after losing her sight suddenly in 2012 after a stroke and Vision Australia were able to support her with mobility, access to quality living groups and helping her process her new reality.

Donna is an internationally honoured songwriter who has received many international and national awards including the APRA / ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year. She has three labels signed to MGM for global distribution.

To hear Donna’s song, ‘Light up the Year’ tune in to Vision Australia, Channel 9 Melbourne Carols by Candlelight to be performed live from the Myer Music Bowl on Christmas Eve. 

Listen to the full interview with Donna in the audio player above.