For your diary
VW fees due, Mon Jul 10
Semester 2 fees ($240) are now due, covering rehearsals and Bayside Carols participation.
Check Cherry’s email for details.
Vocally Wild Winter Concert, Sun Aug 27
Brighton Town Hall, 3.00pm start
The weekly rehearsal email now has the order of songs for the program. Don’t forget to let friends and family know — the $20 entry donation includes the prize-winning afternoon tea J.
Connor’s Run, Sunday Sep 10
https://www.connorsrun.com/home
We will again be supporting the runners with song on the Elwood forshore. It’s a great community event, so join in if you can. We have 18 people at last count, and if you would like to attend sign on the first day back in term 3 or contact Edwina.
Bayside Carols, Dendy Park East Brighton, Tues Dec 12
The iconic Bayside Carols are on again. The full program with two choirs and the concert band is confirmed. Keep this as a must have in your diary, and organise your friends and family early. Rehearsals will be on the three Saturdays leading up to the Carols (Nov 25, Dec 2 & 9) with the final rehearsal on Sun Dec 10, so note those in your diary too – times and location to be confirmed.
Summary
Tue Jul 11 |
Term 3 starts |
Tue Jul 18 |
Early rehearsal (6.50 pm) Altos |
Tue Jul 25 |
(6.50 pm) Basses |
Tue Aug 1 |
(6.50 pm) Tenors |
Tue Aug 8 |
(6.50 pm) Sopranos 1 + 2 |
Tue Aug 15 |
Early start for all, 6.50 pm |
Sun Aug 27 |
VW Annual Concert, Brighton Town Hall |
Tue Sep 12 |
Last rehearsal Term 3 |
Tue Oct 3 |
Term 4 commences |
Tue Dec 5 |
Last rehearsal Term 4 |
Tue Dec 12 |
Bayside Carols |
Choir news
A new piano!
Congratulations to Kerry Holmquest for her initiative with a successful application to the 2023 Stronger Communities Programme. We have received a $7500 grant to purchase a piano for the choir. This will be a significant upgrade to the quality of our program, and we have begun the process of finding a piano to suit our needs.
Who wants the old piano? Free to a good home. Please let President Clint know if you want it
New committee
President Clint Smith
Secretary Helen Kazilas
Minutes Cecilia Stone
Treasurer currently vacant
Membership Cherry Tunnock
Music Maggie Cripps
Events Edwina McLachlan
Committee Kerry Holmquest, John Barlow, Russel Barnes
The AGM in June marked some significant changes in the VW committee, with the retirement of key leaders of the core group of volunteers which has steered the choir through very challenging times.
Russel Barnes has served Vocally Wild as our President over many years and contributed to us learning how to navigate the many tasks that keeps VW up and running. He has advocated strongly for VW particularly during the Bayside Carols changes last year. VW thanks Russel for his outstanding effort as president, and his continuing support on committee.
Pat Lowry has served the Vocally Wild committee in so many ways, not just as a superb secretary, but also taking on the other tasks such as the newsletter, the weekly music repertoire emails and events coordination. This has been a huge workload, and she has contributed her characteristic reliability, strength and calmness of spirit which has helped define the choir. Thanks to Pat for her outstanding effort from all members of our choir.
Julie Sergienko as Treasurer has made sure that our financials are up to date and follow all regulations. This takes a certain expertise. VW thanks Julie for her outstanding work in supporting the choir.
We also thank Rob Tunnock and Allen Lowry for their continued work in setting up our music system each Tuesday night and for any events that we hold. Our choir could not function without this effort.
VW Secretary
In late news, we are delighted to welcome Helen Kazilas to the Secretary role. This is a really important piece of the puzzle for the new committee, and we thank Helen for answering the call.
Position vacant — VW Treasurer
We are now in urgent need of a VW member with bookkeeping skills to volunteer to look after our finances and manage payments and reports. The system is all set up in QuickBooks so is easy to use. Although the Treasurer is a member of the VW committee, it is not essential to attend monthly meetings if time commitment is an issue.
Please consider helping out the choir if you’re good with figures and can commit some time for the regular but light duties involved. Talk to Clint or John or any committee member.
VW does Mahler - see Fran's full report below
Music links
The Miracle Club Tickets
Thanks to Transmission Films, we have some double passes to give away to THE MIRACLE CLUB, a film starring Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Laura Linney, opening nationally in cinemas on 3rd August.
This movie is opening in cinemas August 3. Trailer is attached to this email
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQpXloPngx4
Text Clint on 0410 569 386 to claim your tickets, first in first served, collect from Bill at next rehearsal.
Synopsis
Ballyfermot, Ireland, 1960. A hard-knocks community in outer Dublin marches to its own beat, rooted in traditions of loyalty, faith and togetherness. There's just one tantalising dream for the women of Ballyfermot to taste freedom and escape the gauntlet of domestic life: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. And with a little benevolent interference from their cheeky and rebellious priest, close friends Lily, Eileen, Dolly and Sheila are the 'lucky' few to win this ticket of a lifetime at their riotous local raffle night.
Supper with the Stars, Friday Sep 8th
Southern Stars Stage Band are presenting a programme of concert band favourites in this popular series, the next on July 7. Details at https://www.facebook.com/events/688031032985976/688031042985975/?event_time_id=688031042985975&ref=newsfeed .
Jamie Miles recital, Aug 14
Tempo Rubato (Brunswick)
Hear items from Jamie’s repertoire for the upcoming ARD competition in Munich.
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1079416
Reports
It was a tough gig; but someone had to do it! Thanks for this report Fran
On Friday 9th June, approximately 20 Vocally Wilders (and a few fun ring-ins) flew to Sydney with both glee and trepidation to participate in ChorusOz’ performance of Mahler’s 8th Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Brett Weymark OAM.
We had been rehearsing our parts individually for months, with frequent texts and phone calls.. “what were we thinking… this is Mahler”. However, the moment Brett bounced onto the podium on Saturday morning, we were hooked! After a day and half of rehearsals with 2 grand pianos, and 780 other choristers who had flown from all over Australia (and internationally), it was time to bring in the Sydney Youth Orchestra, a superb children’s choir, 8 professional soloists, and David Drury on the newly restored organ! It was almost overwhelming to look around the filled choir stalls, down onto the podium, into the audience and realise that we were really doing this. But could we pull it off? Under Brett’s masterful direction, encouragement, sense of humour and clever use of the compliment sandwich, we did! And as the final chords of the glorious second movement swelled throughout the Concert Hall many of us were brought to tears.
As we left the Opera House still buzzing, Sydney’s Vivid display was in full swing. This truly was an experience of a lifetime.
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