Coro Loro Sa'e Reunion
December 2008

In 1975 most of the East Timorese who had escaped to West Timor went to Portugal. There Maestro Cornélio Vianey da Cruz gathered a group of young people from among them and formed a choir known as Coro Loro Sa’e (Sunrise Choir).About forty youngsters aged 8 to 15 years met a few times a week to rehearse in Maestro Cornélio’s tiny dwelling, and a strong bond of friendship emerged within the group. For many of the members, Coro Loro Sa’e became the family that stood in for the one they were forced to leave behind in East Timor.

Under Cornélio’s masterful direction, Coro Loro Sa’e became well known among the Portuguese community, and the choir continues to this day in Portugal under the name ‘Sol Nascente’. The choir travelled extensively throughout Portugal, expressing the Timorese culture, identity, and to some extent the struggle. In 1977 the Red Cross sponsored the making of a record, and in 1996 the choir sang at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Bishop Carlos Belo and the current President José Ramos-Horta.

In December 2008, thirty years after the foundation of Coro Loro Sa’e, a reunion of its original members including Maestro Cornélio and the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste, Mr Zacarias da Costa, was held in Liverpool NSW. A Mass on Christmas Eve was followed by a concert, dinner and party on Boxing Day.

At one of the many practices	Maestro Cornélio da Cruz	Singing at Christmas Eve Mass
The Coro Loro Sa'e Concert	Part of the audience	Cornélio with Alice and Alilu

Looking forward to the next Reunion of Coro Loro Sa'e

Thanks to Daniel Sarmento for the photographs