"CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT"

ABOVE: Adelaide's Elder Park stage glows for the crowd of 35,000!

Sunday 21st December saw Mark and his partner Alison Hams round off another busy year in the best possible style with their debut appearance on Adelaide's "Carols By Candlelight" in the city's Elder Park.

The biggest and most prestigious annual live music production in South Australia - "Carols By Candlelight" this year attracted a record crowd of over 35,000 people - in fact police and event security were forced to close the entry gates shortly before the show commenced such was the overwhelming demand for a view!

ABOVE: Mark & Alison backstage at rehearsal.

Alison and Mark performed a 3-song set consisting of Mark's original song "Summer Dreams", Steve Earle's "Nothing But A Child" and a rousing calypso version (with full orchestra & choir!) of "The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy".

Our talented duo shared the stage with Rachael Beck, George Kapiniaris, The BordererS & The Rough Diamonds, Flaming Sambuca's, The Funkees, Annika Hooper, Benji Riggs, Raymond Sisters, James Pratt and hosts Rosanna Mangiarelli, Rod Savage from "The Advertiser" and Jason "Snowy" Carter from Mix 102.3.

"CAROLS IN THE PARK"

ABOVE: Mark as MC for Whyalla's "Carols In The Park".

Whyalla's annual "Carols In The Park" has staged on December 14th to a crowd of over 3500 in the city's Civic Park.

This year's event - for which Mark was an Event Coordinator and wife Alison Hams Concert Coordinator - ran like clockwork from start to finish with Santa again paying a visit to Whyalla shortly before the finale, much to the excitement of youngsters lining the stagefront!

Mark hosted the evening and sang 2 songs, while Alison featured and led her Community Choir throughout the show which also starred wonderful kids entertainers The Kazoos and an all-star Whyalla cast including dancers from Whydale Calisthenics and Whyalla Ballet School.

Local band Auden and Westland's Got Talent Junior Winner Gabrielle Ballard performed along with a number of choir soloists, and Whyalla musical maestro Peter Brown on keyboard.

This year's "Carols In The Park" marked the handover of the event's administration from the APEX Club of Whyalla to The Combined LIONS Clubs Of Whyalla - as noted by Whyalla Mayor the Hon. Jim Pollock in his opening address.

Mark in WA!

ABOVE: Mark with Alison Hams at Rocky CM Club
Rockingham Hotel, WA on 3/5/08

The tour included several feature radio interviews for the duo with Brendon T. Moylan on Curtin FM 100.1, with Derek Cusick on Radio Fremantle 107.9FM - and with several other country music radio programmes in the south-west.

Mark and Alison's tour opened with a special "Fan Club Members Only" concert in Perth on Sunday 26th April, and the entire trip was blessed with superb weather and extremely well received performances.

MARK & ALISON
Support McHappy Day!

Mark joined his wife and musical partner, Alison Hams, on Saturday 17th November in support of McHappy Day at their local Whyalla (SA) McDonalds Family Restaurant.

McHappy Day raises money for the extremely worthwhile Ronald McDonald House Charities through donations, wrist band sales - and a dollar for every Big Mac sold on the day!

Mark and Alison were asked to lend a hand to raise the profile of McHappy Day in Whyalla - and were only too willing to oblige.

THANK YOU to all the helpful and forgiving staff at Whyalla McDonalds - and good luck with this fantastic fundraising initiative this, and every other year!

MARK enters SA HALL OF FAME!

SA Country Music Hall of Fame Park,
at Barmera in South Australia's Riverland.

Mark has been honoured with induction into the South Australian Country Music Hall Of Fame at the South Australian Country Music Festival and Awards held in Barmera over the June long weekend.

Organisers said Mark "has established his reputation as one of the finest vocalists and songwriters in the Australian country music industry over many years, and by far-reaching national and international touring commitments. With five highly successful all-original independent albums and numerous radio hits to his name, he has maintained a steadfast dedication to being an independent artist who creates in his performances a unique and powerful connection with his listeners."

A veteran of major festivals like Tamworth Country Music Festival since 1994 - Mark has built an enormous and dedicated fan base internationally, and says that his Hall of Fame inclusion is "a wonderful and permanent honour" for his music and dedication over many years.

Mark's hand in stone!,
SA Country Music "Hall of Fame" Ceremony.

Mark's wife - singer, songwriter and musician Alison Hams - was also inducted into the SA Country Music Hall of Fame.

Both Mark and Alison have been Star Maker Grand Finalists - and winners in major international songwriting contests like the Unisong International Song Contest and the UK Songwriting Competition. Between them, they have self-produced 13 albums, and sold close to 20,000 copies of these nationally and internationally.

Mark first came to the Riverland Country Music Festival in 2004 - Alison has maintained a much longer connection since her talent quest-winning days to her integral role in recent years as part of the official Talent Quest and SA Country Music Awards Bands.

The New Year is a good time to reflect on 2006 - and what an incredible year it was!

Over the previous 12 months, Mark (and his performance partner Alison Hams) played an astonishing 121 shows over 6 Australian states (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.

This intensive touring schedule has set a record for Mark and Alison both in the number of performances in a calendar year - and for the extent of that touring within and outside Australia.

Included in 2006's highlights were the month-long national tour with UK Star Charlie Landsborough in February, a performance with Kate Ceberano in April, at NZ's Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival in May, Mildura Country Music Festival in September/October and Whyalla's "Carols in the Park" with James Blundell in front of a 5000-strong crowd in December.

And 2007 already looks no different!

After finishing their 2006 with a 3-night set of shows at Whyalla's Watersedge Restaurant on December 31st, Mark and Alison head toward Tamworth Country Music Festival for 10 days of performances in January - including their own 3-concert series of "Concerts in the Chapel" with 2007 Golden Guitar Finalist Peter Pratt.

March holds the Murraylands Music Festival (SA), and Eastertime the National Folk Festival in Canberra. Offers are currently being discussed for festivals in WA, Victoria and far north Queensland!

Just as exciting was Alison and Mark's opening act for Kate Ceberano at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel on April 6th. In front of a packed and elite Ballroom audience, Mark and Alison wowed the crowd with their music and performance.