Since last week's newsletter we've been able to confirm these important 2025 dates in the Beaumaris Hall for your diary:
Vocally Wild Annual Concert 2.00pm Sunday 3 August
Vocally Wild Community Carols 5.00pm Sunday 21 December
And we missed two items we can add here as a bonus:
– A report on the 2024 Vocally Wild Community Carols from Edwina
– An update on Bags of Joy from Pat.
Vocally Wild Choir Inaugural Community Carols
Our first community carols concert and singalong was held on Wed 18 December 6.00–7.30pm at our ‘home’ in the Beaumaris Community Centre. It was fun and exciting and gave all participants, whether the 50 choristers or the 220 audience members a chance to sing their favourite Christmas Carols and songs.
Vocally Wild Choir was joined by Jack Raudy, a St Leonards College student who had just finished his final VCE exams. Jack sang three songs, Holly Jolly Xmas, O Holy Night and Happy Christmas, War is Over and his beautiful young voice was enjoyed by us all. We were again joined by Emma Lippa, our wonderful accompanist and Bill Miles our musical director who sang Do you hear what I hear with the choir backing his fine tenor voice.
We had most seats filled in the hall and some family groups listening as the children played on the grass outside. Santa arrived and the children were very excited. It was a relaxed, kid-friendly event, and afterwards some of stayed for supper to celebrate the success of the concert.
We were delighted to receive financial support for the event from the Community Bank, Sandringham. This gave us the luxury of employing an audio expert to ensure good quality balanced sound and to record an audio track of the event for our website. Although it was a free concert, we were pleased to receive $212 in gold coin donations.
We received very enthusiastic feedback from the audience, who especially enjoyed a chance to sing along with their favourite carols with the words on the program sheet or on the projection screen. The Community Carols have already established themselves as part of the Vocally Wild calendar – the Beaumaris Hall has been booked for Sunday 21 December 2025 for a concert and singalong, starting at 5pm.
Edwina McLachlan
Event Organiser
Bags of Love
If you are interested in making more toiletry bags for the Impact for Women group, which operates from the Sandringham area, Tracey advises that this year another 5,500 bags are needed! This number is required each year (!) and Tracey’s group is just one of a number who give amazing support to women escaping domestic violence.
Last year a very dedicated group created a spectacular number of bags and may wish to continue sewing! Some of you who didn’t take part in 2024 may like to contribute either fabrics or time – the bags are very easy to make. I hadn’t planned on organising a combined Vocally Wild effort this year, but can easily forward the ‘how to make’ details and Tracey’s contact, so you can deal directly with Impact for Women. However, if many of you wish to be part of a group donation, I’ll be more than happy to co-ordinate it. (You will need to see the directions because the size and type of bag is important, because they need to be able to fit into the regulation size hamper.)
Donations of cotton material (cheerful patterns are great, but any suitable fabrics you may have stashed away in your sewing cupboard) will be gratefully received at choir rehearsals.
Looking forward to seeing you all again.
Kind regards
Pat Lowry 0437 697 009
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