Hello everyone.
This year promises to be another busy and exciting one. A warm welcome to you all and to our new members: Don Cox (Tenor), Nicole Jacobsen (Alto - new to Melbourne from Interstate), Cate Howells-Ridoutt and Tanya de Jong Curtain (past Sops members and we’re thrilled to see them again) and it's lovely to see Anne Browne back in the 2nd Sopranos - Anne had time out last year. We hope you all have a very happy, musical term. I understand one or two of you weren't well over the summer break, so hopefully you are fully recovered now.
Considering security during our rehearsals, we will be locking the main door at 7.45 p.m. A white bell will be placed on the door, so please ring this if you arrive late and the duty 'bell-hops' will let you in! Don't worry, the sound shouldn't alert the whole choir!
Lidia is still looking for someone to stay at her home and look after her beautiful cat while she is away on the Croatia trip. Please contact Lidia if you have any suggestions.
For your diaries so far:
TUESDAY, 24TH FEB. CROATIA FESTIVAL INVOICE DUE
| FRIDAY, 28TH FEB. |
HOBART FEE DUE |
| SUNDAY, 15TH MARCH |
VIVA MELBOURNE CONCERT |
| TUESDAY, 24TH MARCH |
TERM 1 CONCLUDES – Open Mic |
| SATURDAY, 28TH MARCH |
VIVA MELBOURNE DEPART |
| TUESDAY, 14TH APRIL |
TERM 2 COMMENCES |
| SUNDAY, 19TH APRIL |
ANZAC PARADE, BEAUMARIS |
| WEDNESDAY, 3RD JUNE |
A.G.M. |
| TUESDAY, 23RD JUNE |
TERM 2 CONCLUDES – Open Mic. |
| SAT. 4TH TO WED. 8TH JULY |
FESTIVAL OF VOICES, HOBART |
| TUES. 14TH JULY |
TERM 3 COMMENCES |
| SUNDAY, 30TH AUGUST |
V.W. CONCERT, 2 P.M, B.T.HALL |
| TUES. 15TH SEPTEMBER |
TERM 3 CONCLUDES – Open Mic. |
| TUES. 6TH OCTOBER |
TERM 4 COMMENCES |
| TUES. (1ST/8TH DEC, TBC) |
TERM 4 CONCLUDES – Open Mic. |
Please note that there will be no Newsletter in April, but we will ensure as much information necessary will be given to you during the March edition and normal service will be resumed in May! Diana will be away most of April, Maggie and Pat for all of April and first week of May; Russel all of May. Cherry will communicate via Harmony and Maggie will organise a willing helper to keep that music coming!! Please don't hesitate to contact any Committee Member if you have any queries.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Diana will be absent from Choir on the following dates. We are very happy that her replacements have been arranged, as below:
- Tuesdays, 10th and 17th March - Replacement -Caren ten Kate
- Tuesday, 24th March & 14th April - Dianne Birch and Patrice Marshall
- Sunday, 19th April - Dianne and Patrice co-leading the ANZAC Parade
- Tuesday, 21st April - not confirmed
- Tuesday, 12th May - not confirmed
BUSHFIRE CONCERT REPORT
On Sunday last, nine Vocally Wilders joined Cadence choir to sing ‘Sweet Mother Earth’ with Diana and Doug at Deakin Edge, Federation Square in the wonderful Bushfire Appeal Concert. This classical music programme featured a variety of wonderful performances from international and local musicians and singers, including Trio Anima Mundi, Australian Welsh Male Choir (50 strong), Miranda Brockman (cellist), Collide Ensemble (sax, cello, piano), Ensemble Francaix (oboe, bassoon, piano) and so many more, too many to mention here. Please ask to see the programme if you’re interested. The final set featured our own Diana and Doug de Vries, who were stunning, followed by Diana and Doug with Cadence and Vocally Wild, then One World Voices choir! It was an amazing music marathon presented by the International Academy of Music Arts and Trio Anima Mundi. Hopefully all the efforts of these generous musicians who donated their brilliance and time, plus all the volunteers, friends, supporters, raised a good sum towards those who have lost so much in this tragedy.
Thank you to the Vocally Wild singers, to our members who came along to be in the audience and a very special thank you to Diana and Doug for inviting us to be part of this day. As a community choir we are so fortunate to be have these opportunities available to us. Let’s keep them coming! (We even had a chance to pop into the Ian Potter gallery, which was an added bonus!!
CROATIA – FESTIVAL OF CHOIRS AND ORCHESTRAS
Plans are going well for this exciting trip. The majority of participants are to depart on 28th March. On Sunday, 15th March, ‘Viva Melbourne’ will hold an Up, Up and Away Concert at the Black Rock Sports Club, Fern Street, commencing at 3.30 p.m. followed by afternoon tea. This will be an opportunity for Viva Melbourne to sing in public prior to the off! We are very pleased that, along with other VIP guests, our ‘singing’ State MP for Sandringham, Brad Rowswell, and Mayor of Sandringham City Council, Clarke Martin, have both very happily accepted our invitation to attend. A flyer has already been sent to you for forwarding to friends and family; some spares will be at the rear of the hall. Entry is $10, children free. Please add your name and numbers to the sheet at Choir if you would like to attend - this will help re catering. Thank you.
HOBART – FESTIVAL OF VOICES
This is to confirm Cecilia’s recent email which gave a brief description of timing, known costs at this stage, etc. Please contact Cecilia, Maggie, Cherry or Pat if you have any queries. Remember to pay your Festival participation fee of $140 by 28th February into the Bendigo Bank, Vocally Wild Account – BSB 633 Account Number 143856581 and complete your details on to the website. Some information from last year’s Festival will be at the rear of the room at Choir, for your interest. More detail of dates and times of performances, activities, will be available once we know our participation numbers and have registered with the organisation.
A.G.M.
The Vocally Wild Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday, 3rd June at SandyBeach Centre. Time to be confirmed. Positions will be available on the Committee, so expressions of interest are to be called for. If there are too many people interested, an election will take place in the usual way. The appropriate notices will be forwarded in due course, but some of you may wish to consider joining our busy and proactive Vocally Wild Committee either this year, or at some time in the future.
VOCALLY WILD ANNUAL CONCERT
Brighton Town Hall has been booked for our Annual Concert, on Sunday, 30th August. We are changing to an afternoon event this year and it will commence at 2.00 p.m. followed by afternoon tea. This may be a welcome time for those who don't like going out on winter evenings and to members who would like to bring children or grand-children.
LOCK UP ROSTER
We are looking for volunteers to assist with 'Lock Up' on Tuesday nights. It is usually a 4 week commitment. All Tuesdays for this year have been allocated to Committee members, so we are now asking for people to offer to keep them company! It's not an arduous task, especially if the cleaners are present, as then we don't have to physically switch off the lights and lock up, but we do need to understand what is required should the cleaners not be there. Our main role is to ensure that chairs are stacked properly, the piano is put away, etc. and importantly all Vocally Wild Members are safely off the premises! A full description of what's necessary will be forward to those who volunteer. Please contact Dianne Birch if you would like to help.
OPEN MIC - Tuesday, 24th March
Dianne is organising our end of term 'Open Mic' session, so if you would like to take part and 'strut your stuff' in this great fun end of term activity, please contact her.
PRISCILLA – QUEEN OF THE DESERT
Peg Gill has booked tickets for Priscilla Queen of the Desert at The National Theatre, St. Kilda, for Opening Night – Friday, 8th May, commencing 8.00 p.m. with Champagne Supper afterwards. I think all the tickets have now gone, but if you are keen to go, check with Peg anyway (Second Soprano).
The musical is based on the iconic Oscar-winning 1994 Australian film, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and is the hilarious adventure of three very different friends who hop aboard a battered old bus bound for the outback to put on the show of a lifetime! Along the way, they strut, dance, sing, laugh, cry and learn more about themselves, while singing up a storm to a non-stop parade of dance-floor classics, including “It’s Raining Men”, ‘Hot Stuff”, ‘I Will Survive”, ‘I Love the Nightlife”, “Go West”, “Colour My World”, “Boogie Wonderland”, “Shake your Groove Thing” and more!!
DOLLY 9 - 5, THE MUSICAL
Rose Olson, Kate's Mum, has tickets for "The Musical: Dolly 9 to 5". Date: Wed 29th July. Time: 1.00 p.m. Cost: $70 pp. Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre. Stars are: Erin Clare, Marina Prior and Caroline O’Connor
Storyline:
9 to 5 is based on the 1980 movie of the same name, and features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. It centres on the down-trodden working lives of three women, Violet, Judy and Doralee. They all work at Consolidated Industries, which is presided over by the sexist, lecherous, and pompous, Franklin Hart, who they decide should go . See Peg or Kate if you’d like tickets.
FRED SMITH
Fred Smith, Australia’s Singing Soldier and of 'Sea Shanties' fame, performed recently at the Albert Park Yacht Club Port Lounge, launching his CD ‘Domestic’. I understand this Melbourne show was completely booked out! If you were hoping to go, it would have been disappointing to miss out; however, for your interest, here is the Sydney Morning Herald’s wonderful review by Bruce Elder, of Fred's launch in Canberra. How lucky were some of us to be able to sing with him last year!
Fred Smith is simply the best folk/country musician working in this country in 2020. Beyond writing some of the finest songs about Australians at war (Dust of Uruzgan), he's created a repertoire that is wry, literate, witty, powerfully emotional and insightful. On this remarkable album – with his palette impressively broad in both lyrical and musical stylings – he ranges through country, folk and faux-cabaret. He includes suitably sharp and savage commentary on our recent political history (Musical Chairs) where, hilariously, he rhymes “prime ministerial” with “venereal”; a haunting duet with Liz Frencham, Four Strong Hands, about the hardship of rural life during drought where men are suicidal and women are caring and rock-solid in their love; and a quasi-rockabilly backing for an amusing satire on modern life in Sydney (Brand New Page). But at the album's heart lies a stunning cycle of deeply personal songs about marriage, babies, love, tolerance, decency and the complexity of modern life (Maryanne, Turn Around, There I Go, Staying Up Late, Beautiful Girl, Certain Things). A sublime study in tenderness and vulnerability. BRUCE ELDER, SMH
FROM OUR 'RESIDENT' POET ILSE ZIPFEL
Ilse wrote “ROADs" about her son’s involvement in clearing roads in Gippsland as a Reserve Soldier.
She will submit it to her EMBERS ANTHOLOGY. Thank you Ilse.
Late spring
bush fires sprang up in worrying speed
witnessed by us over the ether
A war against massive flames could no longer be beaten
by brave and exhausted fire fighters
in many States
My son mentions reserve soldiers might be called
he better be ready
leaving civil life and family behind
Military support was ascertained
to organise land, air and sea operations
while civic leaders stammer in credo linguistics
Here in Melbourne
we are hit by foul air sweeping through streets
and worry for the many people losing homes and possessions
My son had the call for duty
his company’s undertaking is to clear highways, roads and streets
along burned-out Gippsland sites
All are well-trained engineers ready to defend
but here they fell marked trees with heavy chainsaw gear
with logistic needs in armoured juggernauts
Day-in and day-out until scheduled work is done
the group messages of busy days and short nights
during military precision tasks
I ask shyly of fauna amongst burned trees
next day a photo appears of a sprightly spider
crawling between blackened sheaths
ifz
Feb 2020
Kind regards to you all.
PS - don't forget to check the sheets at the back of the hall, so you can add your name if you're taking part in activities.
Diana Clark de-Vries (Musical Director)
Patrice Marshall (Accompanist)
Russel Barnes (President)
Julie Sergienko (Treasurer)
Pat Lowry (Secretary)
Cherry Tunnock (MembershipSecretary) |
Maggie Cripps (Music Production & Management)
Dianne Birch (Music Adviser)
Edwina McLachlan
Graham Mitchell |
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