31 May, 2011

Mornington Peninsual Choral Festival, 2011

 Our annual Choral Festival on the Mornington Peninsula came around again on 28th May, 2011.  We gathered in Mary Herring Hall at Toorak College in Mt Eliza just before midday in anticipation of workshopping the Festival Song for this year.


Waiting for the balloon to go up.

 All four of our choirs - Two Bays, Simply Irresistible, Making Waves and Indigo Singers - were performing which requires our inestimable Director to juggle four repertoires, not to mention scarf management.

Lynette on Scarf Management

The special guest this year was Kathryn Sadler and it is her song "Synergy" that we are to present to the audience at the end of the day.

 
Kate is on stage and we start the "Synergy" workshop

It was inspiring to learn technique for voice and enunciation as we became familiar with the song, not to mention the inspiration for its creation. Kate conducted the choir, Vox Synergy in the Battle of the Choirs and wrote the song to lift the spirits when the choir looked as though they would not have the necessary resources to keep going.


We were interested to see the new Music Centre built at Toorak College since we were there last year. It's certainly a splendid facility for the students at the school. The usual concurrent choir sessions were presented during the afternoon, and it was possible for us to perform and then listen to a couple of other choirs.

Two Bays Choir singing in the Music Centre
Returning to the Hall, there were performances from each choir and we finished with a fine rendition of "Synergy" for which Kate stood in the balcony with the audience behind her. It's lovely to sing upwards to the audience...feels as though we send the sound up to the sky.

Then there was dinner afterwards at 'Spoons' in Mt Eliza.

Dinner at 'Spoons'

And a stirring photo of Sue and Lynette
 That was fun - always good to unwind and review the day's doings, have a glass of wine and a good laugh.

Yours as ever,
Ros.

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