GUEST CHOIRS

ADELAIDE CHAMBER SINGERS

Adelaide Chamber Singers has been an innovative and passionate
contributor to music making in Adelaide for thirty years. Formed
in 1985 by its Artistic Director and Conductor Carl Crossin, the
ensemble comprises some of Adelaides best and most experienced
young ensemble singers, some of whom are also music teachers,
soloists, emerging artists and/or conductors in their own right.
Adelaide Chamber Singers has built a substantial reputation
wherever it has performed and is widely respected as one of
Australias finest chamber choirs. Adelaide Chamber Singers was
also awarded the 2011 Ruby Award for sustained excellence and
contribution by an organisation. The Ruby Awards are SAs premier
Arts awards and ACS is immensely proud of this recognition and
honour.

EXAUDI YOUTH CHOIR

Exaudi Youth Choir is a group of experienced young choral singers,
dedicated to performing a wide range of music at a high level. Exaudi
tours regularly, has produced two CD recordings and performs
frequently in and around Melbourne. The young people involved
represent a variety of professions and many are tertiary students.
They share a common love of singing and in many cases are
accomplished musicians. Exaudi takes its name from the Latin word
meaning listen to us or understand us. Founded in 2007 by Claire
Preston and Bob Stewart, Exaudi is now part of the Young Voices
of Melbourne organization and is conducted by Mark OLeary. In
2014 Exaudi undertook a successful Winter Tour of regional Victoria
with US composer and hammer dulcimer master Malcolm Dalglish,
and is looking forward to a 2015 tour to Festival of Voices in Hobart.

YOUNG VOICES OF MELBOURNE

Young Voices of Melbourne was founded by Mark OLeary in 1990,
and is now regarded as one of Australias finest young choirs. Choir
members aged 6 to 28 years rehearse weekly in one of five groups.
The choir performs regularly in and around Melbourne, and tours
annually. It has taken its music to all states and territories of
Australia, as well as Europe (1996, 2004 & 2010), South Africa
(1998), Canada/USA (2001 & 2013), Singapore Thailand (2007)
and Samoa (2011). Young Voices of Melbourne has released ten
CD recordings and has collaborated with many great choirs and
artists both in Australia and on its travels abroad. Members of the
choir attend different schools around Melbourne and are united by
their love of singing great music together. Young Voices of Melbourne
is conducted by Mark OLeary and accompanied by Julia Piggin.

GONDWANA VOICES
Established by Artistic Director Lyn Williams in 1997, Gondwana
Voices is a truly national choir whose members come from right
across Australia. They are the children of dairy farmers and teachers,
wheat farmers and flying doctors, engineers, office workers and
musicians. They perform music which is close to their hearts; new
Australian works which capture the mystery and grandeur of our
land, and traditional works which display the cultural diversity of
the Australian people. The work of the choir is a powerful expression
of the determination of young Australians to work together in
creating an extraordinary musical ensemble.

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CHOIRS

AUSTRALIAN GIRLS CHOIR

We aim to challenge the traditional view of choirs, and are known
for our ability to excite audiences with our impressive choreographed
routines, vibrant performance costumes and exquisite singing. We
have a diverse and extensive repertoire including much loved Aussie
tunes, upbeat and inspirational items, Broadway show numbers,
songs from other cultures and of course Christmas Carols! Event
organisers often comment on our girls professionalism, impeccable
behaviour and their wonderful ability to connect and interact with
different audiences.

BEL CANTO,
FIRBANK GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Firbank Grammar School has a long tradition of excellence in music
and provides a dynamic and varied music program which includes
regular church and concert performances. An appreciation of music
in all its forms is encouraged at all levels of the School.
Bel Canto is the senior auditioned choir within the school and over
the past three years have performed in concert at the Melbourne
Recital Centre, featured in the Anglican Schools Conference Service,
and performed at the Kodaly Conference as a Guest Choir. During
2014, they toured internationally to Munich, Salzburg and Vienna
in 2014, and competed in the Summa Cum Laude International
Youth Music Festival where they placed 1st in the Treble Choir
Section, with Outstanding Success. They are directed by Philippa
Jones, and accompanied by Jerome Walles.

CONCORDIS CHAMBER CHOIR

Formed in 1998 by current Artistic Director Andrew Hunter,
Concordis Chamber Choir has firmly established itself as one of
Australias finest choral ensembles. Since the first meeting of school
leavers, Concordis has grown into a group of some 40 young men
and women auditioned from across Melbourne. The choirs repertoire
is eclectic and personal; deliberately diverse to demonstrate that
choirs need not limit themselves to performing in only one style of
music. The music of Australian composers is an important emphasis
for Concordis; they regularly commission and premire new works
by Australian composers and are proud of the reputation they have
gained for performing new and contemporary choral music.
Highlights from more than 10 years or performing include their win
in the state final and second place in the national final of the ABC
Choir of the Year competition, appearances on ABC TVs Spicks &
Specks and Sunday Arts, numerous broadcasts on ABC Classic and
3MBS FM and the release of their two compact disc recordings.

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Formed by Debra Shearer-Diri in 2009, Fusion has become known

for its performances of diverse repertoire with exceptional beauty.
The group brings together some of Brisbanes best and most
experienced ensemble singers, most of whom sing regularly with
other choirs in and around the city and have extensive performing
and touring experience both around Australia and internationally.
Intended from the outset as a seasonal ensemble, Fusion allows
singers to remain dedicated members of their own choirs throughout
the year but to extend themselves by singing for short and intensive
periods with highly experienced musicians from other groups. By
using this model, Fusion seeks to build and foster community rather
than competition in the Brisbane choral scene. Singers range across
an assortment of careers including educators, public servants, health
professionals, lawyers and students. Several members are also
choral conductors themselves and are able to apply the skills and
knowledge acquired from Fusion to their own ensembles.

HUNTER SINGERS
The highly acclaimed regional choir Hunter Singers was established
in 1989 by Kim Sutherland OAM. Now in its 25th year, there are
currently 43 singers aged 12-18 in Hunter Singers, representing 7
government high schools in the Hunter region of NSW.
There have been many highlights for Hunter Singers, with some
outstanding and memorable commissions and international tours
to China, USA, Austria, England, Wales, New Zealand, Italy, Canada,
Belgium, France and Germany. The group has also performed many
concerts in Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle.
Hunter Singers was awarded a Gold Diploma at the 2012 World
Choir Games in Cincinnati USA. In 2009 the group won second
prize at the Summa Cum Laude Festival in Vienna a competitive
event with choirs, orchestras and bands from all over the world.
The group also won two major prizes at the Verona Choral
Competition in Italy, 2003.

MARRYATVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

The choir is one of the many co-curricular ensembles at Marryatville
High Schools internationally acclaimed Special Interest Music
Centre. The choir is recognised as one of the best school choirs in
Adelaide. In the past decade it has won competitions in Adelaide
(Adelaide Choral Eisteddfods), Sydney (Sydney Performing Arts
Challenge, ABC Classic FM Choir of the Year State Champion 2006),
and internationally (Tallinn International Choral Festival 2007). The
choir recently toured Central Europe including concerts at the
Kodaly School in Kecskemet. The choir performs a wide variety of
repertoire in a range of styles, and where possible in original
languages

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MELBOURNE CHORUS
Melbourne Chorus has been performing and competing across
Victoria, Australia and the world stage for over 30 years. A member
of Sweet Adelines International, they perform a cappella in the
barbershop style with a repertoire covering early folk to modern
day pop. With members aged from 16 80 years, we come
together with a shared love of singing, education and engagement.
Melbourne Chorus is Australias 2014 Champion Mid Size Chorus
(SAI) and was the Melbourne Eisteddfods inaugural champion in
2013.

POLYPHONIC VOICES
Polyphonic Voices is a new Melbourne based chamber choir which
aims to create vibrant and engaging concerts of the finest choral
repertoire, performed to the highest standard. Led by Michael
Fulcher, this small group of exceptional ensemble singers tailor
evocative programs to pair with exciting venues and themes.
The 20 singers in Polyphonic Voices are all active members of the
Melbourne choral scene with many recent graduates of the
outstanding choirs of the University of Melbourne, namely those
of Trinity, Queens, Newman and Ormond College. The experience
and expertise shared amongst the singers gives Polyphonic Voices
an undeniable edge in the Melbourne choral scene.
In 2014 Polyphonic Voices launched their inaugural season with
the hugely successful Songs of Farewell on 16 May 2014, an event
to commemorate the centenary of the start of the Great War. The
evocative program and raw musicality of the singers combined into
a spine-chilling experience for listeners.

SOUTHERN VOICES
Southern Voices is a community choir for children, teenagers and
young adults. We provide a comprehensive music education through
singing, and specialise in development of transitional voices.
Southern Voices has 2 training levels, a treble voiced development
choir and the main performing choir, the Chorale. The Chorale has
performed throughout Melbourne, represented Australia overseas
and has competed successfully in eisteddfods, winning 3 sections
of the Royal South Street eisteddfod in 2013 and competing in the
Australian National Eisteddfod in Canberra, and winning the
Contemporary Section and coming second in the Sacred Section.
in 2014.

STRATHCONA MELLOR HOUSE SINGERS

Strathcona Mellor House Singers are the auditioned upper primary
choir at a small Baptist Girls Grammar School in Canterbury. They
prepare sacred and secular repertoire for school services and
concerts and perform in competitions and public concerts. Mellor
House Singers perform a diverse repertoire of genres, periods and
languages. They have recently sung in Russian, Latin, French and
aboriginal and islander languages. The choir often performs with
choreography. The choir has been directed by Marianne for the last
2 1/2 years. Under Marianne, Mellor House Singers have sung at
the last 3 Boroondara Eisteddfodau (Primary General), achieving
Highly Commended, First and Second successively.
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RUYTON GIRLS SCHOOL MINI MADS

Mini Mads is an auditioned choir in the Junior School. The girls have
won many prizes at various eisteddfods over a number of years.
Most recently they were placed first at the Melbourne Eisteddfod
for the second year in row. The girls perform in a variety of concerts
throughout the year including Grandparents and Special Friends
Day, Contemporary Music Concert, Presentation Night, Light Up
Your Winter Festival as well as local retirement villages, and
workshops with visiting clinicians.

THE VOCAL CONSORT

The Vocal Consort is the adult performing group of the Australian
Boys Choral Institute and was formed in 1984 to complement the
work of the Australian Boys Choir, with most members of the group
having gained their early musical training through the Boys Choir.
The Consort currently consists of fourteen tenors and basses, mostly
aged in their early to mid twenties. Ranging from plainchant and
sixteenth century polyphony to comic pieces, jazz and pop, the
groups repertoire is wide and varied. Audiences may ride on a
journey of emotions from hysterical laughter through to intimate
reflection and everywhere between.
In addition to touring in Australia and overseas, the Consort presents
many performances in its own right and frequently contributes to
concerts with the Australian Boys Choir. The group has performed
in film and on radio and has released three recordings, the most
recent in 2012.

VOYCES
Voyces is a West Australian based vocal ensemble that focuses on
the performance of contemporary choral work. With an unwavering
dedication to the production of beautiful and powerful musical
experiences, Voyces has gained a reputation of excellence since its
inception in 2012. Renowned musical director, Dr Robert Braham,
guides the members of Voyces through a truly diverse repertoire,
including pieces by acclaimed Australian composers such Iain
Grandage, Dan Walker and Stephen Leek and international
composers Francis Poulenc, Eric Whitacre, John Tavener and Ola
Gjeilo. As a strong supporter of emerging young composers, Voyces
has showcased works by local composers including Perry Joyce,
Calum Braham and Stefan Pugliese. In 2011, Voyces performed at
the Australian National Choral Association re-launch and later that
year premiered a work at, and commissioned for, the National
Council of Orff Schulwerk 17th Biennial Conference. In 2012,
Voyces was a finalist in the ABC Classic FM Vocal Romp!
competition and in August Voyces formed a proud partnership with
the City of Perth 2012 Winter Arts Festival, a partnership that
continued into 2013. More recently, Voyces is building on its
community profile by introducing an annual composition
competition- Voyces: Aspire. The 2013 winner of the competition
was Stefan Puglieses work Three Bays.
In 2014, Voyces was invited to take part in the International Choir
Program at the Festival of Voices as the West Australian
representative.

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