Rehearsing for Festival of Choirs

Queen's Birthday weekend is approaching and we had a final rehearsal for all the Two Bays people going to the Melbourne Festival of Choirs. It was great to have enough space at the Mornington Senior Citizens Club to move around. We have our positions clear, our order for getting onto the stage, and for leaving the stage which will be the opposite direction more than likely.

Rehearsing at home just before the Festival of Choirs.

Back stage, space is limited and noise travels so we are now well organised and looking forward to the event with Jonathon Welch and the many singers expected to participate.

Melbourne Millennium Chorus Rehearsals Start

Rehearsals have started for the 2011 Melbourne Millennium Chorus.

Oh wow! The choir will be 380 voices in a single concert at the Melbourne Town Hall. The energy is terrific with Stella Savy and Dani Fry at the helm. The preparation for this Winter event is fantastic.

"Freedom Road" is the name of this concert that follows the advent of slavery in the south of America, the development of gospel song, and the grievous trek to freedom for individual slaves. Gospel gives us insight into the misery, the faith that gave hope, and the battle for the abolition of slavery overall.

Dani and Stella and their team have prepared copious materials for all participants to be well prepared for this fantastic event. We have at our disposal MP3 files of all parts for all songs, music charts of all songs, lyrics, and twenty pages of historical notes which inform us of the background. The narration for the concert will also be taken from these notes.

Some of the Two Bays stalwarts outside Melbourne Girls College.

The rehearsals are held at Melbourne Girls College. There's a bit of a picnic atmosphere at the tea break - some queue for tea and cake whilst others bring food and hot drinks to share outside - if it's not raining. The rehearsals are a colourful mixture of fun and precision. Of course, this is a Victoria wide event so only half the chorus has been rehearsing in Melbourne. Other regional participants are practicing in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, and more.

If you're interested in getting tickets, we'd love to see you there. Here is the link to The Boite website where you can choose and purchase your seats. http://www.boite.com.au/bookings/

Do come. It'll be a rave.

A footnote from your Blog Master - it's so nice to return to 'normal' Melbourne weather when winter is Winter, but that's my view be it e'er so 'umble.

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.

Vox Synergy in Battle of the Choirs. Click here to see Kate and Singers at work.

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.

Drum Beat

Suzy organised drumming sessions for a few of the choir members who were interested. We have been meeting in the community room near her. Pete is our teacher and we've been meeting on Thursday mornings to learn and practice some pieces.

Pete is on the right, leading us in the pieces we play.

Considering the number of African songs we have learned and performed, the drumming classes are much related to our world music interests. Perhaps we can incorporate the drumming into some aspects of our singing.

Singers Festival, Daylesford. 2011

This glorious Festival has been coming around for the last 20 years, and this year was the 21st. Yay!


About twenty of us from Two Bays went to Daylesford, some for the umpteenth time and others (yours truly) for the first time. Considering that there were rising waters all around Daylesford, many folk took rather circuitous and imaginative routes to get there. The early birds who were travelling from Woodend had only passable water over the road to contend with. The Daylesford Lake spillway was flowing very fast and the Blowhole close to Hepburn on the road to Newstead was B***** Spectacular. Even the viewing platform was inundated and the decking lodged on the bank some way down-stream.

The water spouts 20 metres into the river between viewing platforms

It's not so surprising that Sea Shanties were the topic of one workshop given by a favourite singer, Danny Spooner. In the end, we all arrived safely without needing flotation devices.

Sharing dinner, conversation and good wine on Friday night.

The accommodation bears some comment. Those in a cottage discovered a ghost. Those in a motel offered shelter to those with no home for a night. Those in a tent went to a cabin for fear the wind and the deluge would have trees fall on them in the darkness. Those in a van took it all in their stride. On Friday evening, we gathered at Suzy and Irena's cottage for rehearsal, a shared meal and good company. One of the delights of these events is getting to know our fellow singers a little more.

From Geoff: Friday night concert at the Town Hall. I'm enchanted by the cavernous interior, the wrap-around balcony, the vaulted ceiling and oh that sound! What a treat to sing in such a space.The various workshop presenters strut their stuff, and make my decisions on what to learn over the week-end even more difficult. So much talent, experience and enthusiasm to share.

Danny Spooner et al performing a Sea Shanty

The Festival was great fun, with wall to wall workshops, about four concerts, new and familiar music and musicians. Many of us from Two Bays look forward to the Melbourne Millenium Chorus this year after attending workshops by Dani Fry and Stella Savy who will be the Directors for MMC 2011. Bring it on!



  

Dani Fry and Stell Savy. Great Gospel and Soul workshops.

Our part in the Concert of Choirs went pretty well. All the songs are favourites and a couple were recently performed over the Christmas period - Amen Alleluia and One Morning Soon. Waka Nini Yana is a lovely indigenous lullaby written by Lou Bennett.

Geoff again: Saturday night and it's time for Two Bays to hoist its' colours at the Town Hall in front of a very giving audience of fellow Shower Sops and Bathroom Baritones. I think we nailed it...even Sue looked relaxed!

We are sitting together during the Concert of Choirs awaiting our turn.

The weather become finer on Saturday and moving from venue to venue was eaier as the rain receded. The finale was a concert of the songs learned in the workshops, including a great performance from the kids who attended the Kids' Program. What a great idea this is.

Fay White leads her workshoppers in the Finale

The Kids perform their music and special acts

 So ends another Singers Festival. If anyone has other photos that would add to our little blog-world, let me know, send me a copy, and please add comments to make this our place.

Geoff has the final word: I'm deeply moved by the closing ceremony. My sense of community and the power of music is reaffirmed.

Thanks for your lovely company.
Smiles,
Ros and Sue.

Australia Day Award to Paola Kavisha Mazella AM

"Singing the Songs of Compassion" is the headline in The Age announcing Kavisha Mazella's Member of the Order of Australia amongst the Australia Day Awards.

Those of us who frequent the many events where she is present, most recently the Daylesford Singers Festival, know well enough her bubbly personality and the depth of emotion in her singing. She sings and conducts the song she was commissioned to write for the Centenary of Women's Suffrage which you can visit here.

She is honoured for her "service to the performing arts as a singer and songwriter, and to the community , through the development of musical projects promoting awareness of multicultural, refugee and indigenous experiences".

Here is the link to the little article in The Age, however the lovely photo of her is not here. Pity!

All the best,
Ros.

Hallelujah Chorus Melbourne Central Flash Mob Skin Opera 22-12-10

Sue sent us a notice to say that we might like to participate individually in this Flash Choir event to be held at Melbourne Central. Two of our choir members went along and said it was great to be part of it. Here they are...

Our intrepid Hallelujah Chorus participants taken at Mt Martha

I've put the YouTube link here for you to see the event. 
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaB_24b-FI

You will see our lovely participants right at the bottom of the screen at about 1 minute 20 seconds - watch carefully. They are visible only fleetingly. Wish I'd managed to get there too.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I'm thankful it wasn't too hot to sit outside with our friends. You can expect a bit of news from the Singers Festival in Daylesford in about three weeks and in the meantime, enjoy the break before we return at the end of January, 2011.
 
Happy New Year,
Ros.

Carols by Candlelight at Mt Martha, 2010

Thursday, 23rd December, and Carols by Candlelight has swung around again, with people gathering on the embankment just below Mt Martha House. Quite a few of us met for dinner at the Dava Hotel before the gig.

Dinner at the Dava Pub

This year it was quite cool and although the children were running up and down the hill letting off steam, many came with their knee rugs and jackets.

Lots of play and picnicking as folks found their spot for the Carols

Mr and Mrs Santa were well rugged up

We had a warm-up in the evening light behind the semi-trailer that was the stage. We were on the stage at the beginning to sing the first two carols with everybody. Our segment was next with Tuross Carol, Christ Child's Lullaby and One Morning Soon which always engages the audience in some clapping.

Waiting to start our warm-up amongst the lengthening shadows.

After we left the stage, a few joined the crowd, a few went straight home, and some stood to the side and joined in the next couple of well-known carols.

Singing with the audience before departing

Christmas Carols in Frankston, 2010

The weather was kind to us as we gathered just before 6 PM at the north end of Shannon Mall yesterday evening. Conspicuous in our red tops of all kinds with dashes of green here and there, we established our group outside the entrance to Bayside shopping centre ...outside Rebel Sports and Sanity Music. That seemed to work!



...outside Rebel Sports and Sanity Music, ready to begin.



People floated past with kids and trolleys, whilst some tarried to listen for a little and danced with children pointing.  There were those who stayed until the end of a song, or changed their pace as they went by. I noticed one woman who caught the mood of "One Morning Soon" and went skipping down the mall, clapping as she went.



Achoir of colour for Christmas

There were two sets of Christmas songs and carols with a short break in between. Amongst them (not a full list) were On Christmas Morning written by our Director, Sue, Soalin', and Mary’s Boy Child. Amen Aleluia from South Africa is rousing and Christmas Day (North Wind) is an Australian carol that a few of us learned at school. Thapelo is a traditionl prayer with lovely harmony from the Soweto Gospel Choir and we have a soft spot for Tuross Carol which was written by Genevieve Pizzey who died this year.

Happiness is a song sung well

Our position in front of a wall was great as it seemed to deflect the sound quite well, and the spirit of song and harmony carried us to along to sing well. Afterwards, some said goodbye and headed homeward, whilst others met at Sofia Pizza down by the pier to enjoy large helpings of food, laughter and talk.

At Sofia Pizza afterwards. Andrew makes a strong point

Happy days,

Ros

Christmas Carols in Mornington

We gave an informal street performance of Christmas songs and carols for the after lunch shoppers and passers-by in Mornington on Saturday, 11th December, 2010.

Stepping outside the usual dress code for Christmas, we wore tops of any Christmas colours with hats and tinsel decorations for our music books.

We sang a mixture of traditional Christmas carols and more recent songs. For those who are interested to recall what we sang, here is the list:
Amen Aleluia, On Christmas Morning, Soalin', Mary's Boy Child, Jazz Gloria, Salaam, Christmas Day (North Wind), Bright Bethlehem, Thapelo, Tuross Carol, One Morning Soon.

Best wishes,
Ros.