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The Frayne Festival is a gathering of students from schools founded in the traditions of Mercy education.
Voices United: A Joyful Celebration of the Spoken Word
The Frayne Speech Festival was established in 1996 and is a gathering of students from schools, founded in the traditions of Mercy education. The event is named after Mother Ursula Frayne, leader of the first group of Sisters of Mercy to arrive in Australia from Ireland in 1846. Held annually, the festival provides an opportunity for spirited competition in Debating, Public Speaking and Voice Choir and is a celebration of a proud tradition—the spoken word.
This year’s Frayne Festival was hosted by Sacred Heart College, Kyneton with more than 200 students and staff from thirteen Victorian and South Australian Mercy schools represented. The quality of competition was very high and the shared spirit across so many young people was a true testament to the quality of Mercy schools.
The three aspects of the day challenge students at different stages of schooling to debate (Years 10-12), to advocate (Years 11&12) and to entertain (Years 7-10). Sacred Heart College was represented in all three sections of the competition.
Among these, the voice choir event is often the most competitive. Otherwise known as choral speaking, it involves teams performing spoken texts together, using rhythm, timing, and vocal expression to create a powerful, layered soundscape—like a choir, but without singing.
Traditionally, certain schools have dominated this category year after year, making it difficult for others to break through. This year, however, Sacred Heart made their mark.
For the compulsory piece, all schools performed Breath by Maxine Beneba Clarke. Sacred Heart’s self-selected piece was Touchscreen by Marshall Davis Jones, a slam poem that explores the grip of smartphones on modern society.
The youngest team in the competition, Sacred Heart’s students gave up their lunchtimes to rehearse tirelessly with their coaches, Freya Egberts and Hannah Monagle. Their preparation paid off—on the day, their performance captivated the audience and judges alike, earning them a decisive victory.
Principal Dr. Egberts expressed his pride in the team, saying "The 2025 Frayne Speech Festival was a joyful celebration of the spoken word—where schools united by shared Mercy values came together to honour voice, expression, and the power of diverse perspectives. All at the College were especially thrilled to celebrate our voice choir, named winners in their category for the very first time.”
Competing Schools
Academy of Mary Immaculate, Fitzroy
Catherine McAuley College, Bendigo
Damascus College, Ballarat
Emmanuel College, Warrnambool
Mercy Regional College, Camperdown
Mount Lilydale Mercy College
Notre Dame College, Shepparton
Our Lady of Mercy College, Heidelberg
Padua College, Mornington
Sacred Heart College, Geelong
Sacred Heart College, Kyneton
St Aloysius College, Adelaide
St Aloysius College, North Melbourne
