Shortis and Simpson facts for kids

Shortis and Simpson are a famous Australian entertainment duo. They are made up of John Damien Shortis and Moya Simpson. They are singers, songwriters, and artists who perform funny shows about politics. They also create and produce many different types of performances.

John Shortis was born in 1948 in Earlwood, New South Wales. He is known for his funny political songs, his singing, and his music. He also studies social history and talks about political events. Moya Simpson was born in 1948 in Twickenham, England. She is a singer and actor who can use many different voices and accents. She also leads choirs. Moya moved to Australia in 1978.

What Shortis and Simpson Do

Shortis and Simpson create music about Australian life, both from the past and today. They perform as cabaret singers, making new songs and shows. These shows often change with the political news of the country.

Choirs and Community Stories

They lead a world music choir called "Worldly Goods." They also help create community choirs in different parts of Australia. For example, they helped with the first Outback Children's Spectacular in 1988. They also worked on Bells of Peace in Mt Evelyn, Victoria, for ANZAC Day in 2015.

Awards and Recognition

Their album, Cinderella Acappella, was released in 1994. John Shortis wrote the songs for it. This album was nominated for a big award, the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album, in 1995. However, it lost to The Wiggles' album, Big Red Car. Shortis and Simpson performed Cinderella Acappella at the Sydney Opera House.

Moya Simpson's show, Big Voice, won the Canberra Critics Circle Award in 2009. Shortis and Simpson also won a Canberra Critics Circle Award in 2010 for their show Tin Pan Aussie. This show told the story of Australia's early history through music. It showed how the young nation found its identity during tough times like the Great Depression and two world wars. It also looked at how Australia dealt with its Indigenous people.

John Shortis's Journey

John Damien Shortis was born in 1948. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2017 for his work in the performing arts.

In the 1960s and 70s, John worked as a composer and writer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Some of his songs are sung on the TV show Play School. You can also find them on Play School albums.

He chose songs, wrote scripts, and was the music director for radio shows like Let's Have Music. These shows helped teach music in many schools across Australia for years. John also helped write a musical for primary schools about Australian history. It was called The Corrugated Violin Show.

In 1988, John was the artistic director for the first Outback Children's Spectacular. This was a big project for Australia's 200th birthday. It involved 3,000 children from country areas. John wrote songs with the kids in workshops. He brought children from 50 schools together to perform in Dubbo. Over 25,000 people watched the show on TV. This project was so successful that similar shows continued in other outback places.

John writes music for many types of performances. He has written for theatre companies and his songs have been recorded by other artists. He has also written music for operas and for the Sydney Youth Orchestra. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra performed his music suite Bushlandia in 1993.

In 1998, John researched old sheet music at the National Library of Australia. This led to musical shows and an exhibition called “Between the Sheets – The National Library’s Sheet Music Collection”.

In 2008, John researched and wrote a song about each of Australia's Prime Ministers. This became a stage show called Prime Time in 2013. It was performed as part of Canberra's 100th birthday celebrations.

Moya Simpson's Story

Moya Simpson was born in 1948 in England. She moved to Australia in 1978. She was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2017 for her work in the performing arts.

In 1987, Moya was part of a choir called Je Ne Sais Choir. Later, in 1993, she was part of a group called Girls in Your Town. This group sang songs from the 1950s and 60s, along with gospel, jazz, and African chants.

Moya directs choirs and leads singing workshops for people of all ages. She also performs as a solo singer and actor.

In 1998, Moya started two choirs: the large community choir Worldly Goods and a smaller group called Can Belto. Worldly Goods performs at festivals and big community events. In 2002, this choir was invited to represent the ACT at a music festival. They also performed a Beatles tribute show. In 2010, Moya toured South African villages with 40 choir members.

Can Belto was a small group that sang Eastern European songs. They performed at many places, including the Australian War Memorial and the National Gallery of Australia. In 2009, Can Belto joined with the Worldly Goods choir.

Moya has performed hundreds of shows across Australia for over thirty years. Her one-woman show, Close Your Eyes and Think of England, featured songs in the style of famous English singers like Cilla Black and Vera Lynn. She also had a show called Yodel Lady. Moya won an award in 2009 for her show Big Voice. In this show, she used her amazing singing and acting skills to create a moving and fun performance.

Moya has also acted in plays. In 2012, she played a funny Russian character in a play called Heart of a Dog. In 2013, she acted in Catalogue of Dreams, a play about foster care and homelessness, especially for Indigenous children.