BIOGRAPHY
Narelle’s story is one of persevering through obstacles. A person who thinks outside the square and looks for solutions in unexpected places, her motto is “There’s always a way.” This creative expectation, woven with a strong moral fibre, has enabled her to journey through some daunting experiences with honesty, hope, and stubborn resilience.
At the age of 19, a bright future suddenly turned bleak when a serious health condition isolated her from a normal life. She says, "I felt like a princess moated in a forgotten castle." The illness stole the voice with which she'd travelled New Zealand and Australia speaking and singing with her family in their role coaching home educators and students.
She learned a lot while pursuing natural health solutions, but they didn’t make her well. After years of seclusion and frustration that her body wouldn't support what she wanted to do, prayer for divine healing returned her ability to sing, but with a singing voice she'd never had before.
For a number of years, she fought her still-hijacked body to release this voice when summoned. Over time, further encounters with God brought greater freedom physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is her delight to now be able to open her mouth and sing wherever she is without preparation and to know that the sound coming forth will bring peace and hope to those who hear it.
During those years of struggle to follow her dreams within the confines of her handicap, Narelle focused on improving her poetry, storytelling, and speaking skills, honing her creative expression, and exploring entrepreneurial avenues. She published a novella and a catalogue of short plays, wrote four blogs, researched vintage fashion techniques for modern use, created her own wardrobe from daywear to concert costumes, launched an international modest fashion initiative, studied photography, taught herself to model for her own fashion photography, created music videos for patriotic occasions, wrote custom songs for friends getting married, lent her visionary leadership and creative skills to charity endeavours, and explored live performance of impromptu piano music.
Narelle has now chosen to focus her outstanding voice, spiritual musicianship, and creative energy into the Custom Song arena, looking forward to collaborating with other creative artisans to create stunningly beautiful custom songs that tell your unique story in a memorable way.
Gifted with an angelic voice and the ability to write crafted, sensitive lyrics and an abundant flow of fresh melodies, Narelle creates wholesome, classical-inspired folk songs, ballads, anthems, comic songs, light-hearted scats, and soaring vocalise soundtracks. Narelle also writes new lyrics for old-world melodies and vintage tunes in the public domain.
To listen to some of Narelle’s Custom Songs, click here.
If you’re interested in booking Narelle to create a custom song for you or your event, email NarelleWorboys@gmail.com to arrange a free consultation.
With unforgettable stories, an angelicly pure singing voice, quirky humour, charismatic stage presence, and inspiring original songs, Narelle Worboys presents musical experiences with depth and meaning that is captivating, engaging, and transformational.
Narelle has shared the stage with veteran New Zealand folk musician Jules Riding. She featured as his guest vocalist in "Cataclysm", which has aired numerous times on New Zealand and Australian television. She has also featured on several of his other albums.
For the Centenary of the beginning of World War I, Narelle wrote new lyrics for the 1914 Kiwi classic "Pokarakare Ana". She titled the song "My Beloved, He Has Gone Away" and debuted it acapella at the Dannevirke Town Hall's remembrance concert in WOMEN OF COURAGE, the mini musical she wrote for the occasion. Her performance was referred to as the most moving and memorable of the evening's program.
Narelle has written a number of original wedding songs, performing them at the weddings of those she wrote them for. She enjoys telling the story of the unique and special relationship being celebrated. Her song, "A Love Like This", was requested by both her sisters for their weddings.
Narelle started exploring her songversation style with WHY KNOWING I'M INADEQUATE GIVES ME CONFIDENCE, a twenty-minute stories-and-songs program opening for the main speaker at a Women of Faith event. She has presented as the main speaker for an Aglow women's fashion fundraiser with her keynote concert program LOVE LIFTED ME.
She has periodically appeared at retirement homes, presenting musical programs of vintage and sacred classics with charm and humour, delighting audiences with her beautiful gowns and caring personality as well as her voice.
Wearing a 50-year-old wedding dress, she co-hosted a bridal parade charity fundraiser, providing stories and songs with wit and emotion to help keep the audience in the mood for nostalgia and romance. Narelle has also used the story-and-song combination in her role as regional coordinator for Operation Christmas Child, to connect with audiences in a very personal way and inspire them to get involved.
To be part of Narelle's creative life on Facebook, follow Narelle on www.fb.com/NarelleWorboys.
