Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Golden Ponds Village Voices in Forster, NSW. What a joyful day it was, filled with laughter, song, and the sound of voices rising together from our Green Large Print Song Book. 

At the heart of this choir is my dear friend, Samantha Campbell. Samantha is the musical director and the driving force behind the Golden Ponds Village Voices, and her passion for music and people shines through every note. Many in the group may not know the extraordinary history behind their conductor.

In her earlier years, Samantha performed across Australia as a singer and entertainer under the stage name Sammie Woods. From the early 1960s she was a regular on television, appearing on Bandstand, The Bobby Limb Show, Reg Lindsay’s Country Show, The Mike Walsh Show, and she even spent three years on The Don Lane Show. She featured weekly on BTQ7’s Swinging School between 1962 and 1965, and entertained troops in Vietnam. It was a remarkable career in show business, and those who hear her sing today can still catch a glimpse of that same dazzling talent.

After retiring to Forster, Samantha devoted her time to choirs and community music-making, both with U3A and later with the Golden Ponds Village Voices. Her commitment is entirely voluntary, driven only by her deep love for music and the joy it brings to people.

Samantha’s connection with our Green Song Book runs deeper than her current choir work. Back in 2017, I released the Green Book CD Collection, followed by the Green Large Print Song Book in 2018, created at the request of the aged care industry. Soon after, I began receiving calls for a sheet music edition so that pianists and accompanists could play along. With my limited knowledge of music theory, the task felt impossible—until Samantha stepped in.

One day, during a phone conversation, I explained my dilemma. After a brief pause, Samantha simply said, “I think I could do that.” That moment changed everything. Drawing on her vast musical experience, she began painstakingly creating the sheet music for 200 songs, using scanned melodies from the handwritten works of my late neighbour and friend, Don Smith, a renowned Australian clarinettist who had left behind thousands of carefully notated tunes. It was a true meeting of legacies—Don’s notes, Samantha’s skill, and the need of aged care communities for accessible, singable music.

Together, we produced the Green Large Print Song Book Music Edition in 2019. Then, during the COVID lockdowns, Samantha and I put our time to good use, expanding this into a full suite of five sheet music editions—supporting not only choirs and singing groups but also instrumental ensembles in aged care. Samantha poured hundreds of voluntary hours into this project, refusing payment because she shared my vision: to bring comfort, joy, and connection to older Australians, especially those living with dementia, through the power of music.

This journey has forged a wonderful friendship between us, and it is always a joy to see the living fruit of her efforts in action—like the Golden Ponds Village Voices, singing their hearts out from the Green Song Book. On my visit, they even insisted I join them at the piano for three songs. What a privilege that was!

We thank Samantha and the Golden Ponds Village Voices for allowing us to share this story and photo, and we respect their wishes not to publish full names or the facility name. This special visit took place in Forster 13th August 2025.