Hello All,
What a wonderful night at Bayside Carols! A huge crowd, the Southern Area Concert band was spectacular and I am sure all who took part enjoyed every minute and are still glowing with the memories. Weren't the soloists wonderful, including our own Dianne and Jenny?. Special thanks to Diana for her first 'Carols' and to Robert who, as usual, ran an amazingly efficient and fabulous event; so good to see him again over the last few weekends. Look who joined the ‘back row sopranos’ for 'Hallelujah' during our final rehearsal last Monday night - what an amazing pop up 'workshop' on how we should sing it!! Such joy!
(Mirusia at Rehearsal. Photo - Kate Chen).
 Our Street Singers had fun singing at the Black Rock Christmas Festival and are now looking forward to more carolling at the Rotary Market Sandringham, Hampton Street shopping centre and the Hampton Cricket Club Christmas Party. Diana and Clare will be with us at the HCC and Maggie will lead us in her own inimitable style at the market and Hampton Street. Thanks so much to Russel, Dave Snowden and their helpers for setting up the sound equipment for our events - a huge task, so willingly done without fuss. There is still more fun to come too - our end of year party - so hope everyone has a great time. The Social Committee have put in a huge effort to organise this function, so thank you to you all.
We have many talented and artistic people in Vocally Wild. After you have read Russel’s President’s Report, keep reading - you are sure to enjoy Ilse Zipfel's very seasonal poem ‘Sandy Foreshore’. Recent news: Kate Rouse (1st Sop) gained her Masters in “International Diplomacy” from London University – well done Kate, a wonderful achievement – and a much desired topic these days, I feel! Our own special soloists, Dianne Birch and Jenny Ellison, have their particular Christmas “gigs” to perform, so all the very best to them both.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
We started nervously with a new choir director and a committee running the whole show, rather than Sandy Beach Centre. We can now see the changes have been a roaring success.
Diana is fantastic and has become one of us. And the committee is phenomenally effective in managing all the background tasks required by any business, as well as organising all the social activities and events. Next time you see them, please say thank you to Pat, Dianne, Jenny, Edwina, Cherry, Julie, Maggie, Graham and Sarah on the main committee, and Lidia, Lyn, Jennifer, Anne and Jo on the social sub-committee.
The Tuesday night rehearsals are the backbone of the choir. This is when we learn, train, improve, enjoy the pleasure of music and have fun. And we get to hang out with lots of fabulous like-minded people.
I've had many people comment on how great we sound as a result of Diana's attention to the quality of our sound, so our hard work pays off. We can admire soloists for their individual talent, but you must not forget that our choir sounds great because it’s a combination of individual voices. Your voice makes us great.
As well as Tuesday rehearsals we sang at the Rotary convention, our concert in October, and of course, Carols in the Park. I'm not sure if it’s excessive hubris to say how much I enjoy being one of 200 on stage looking out over 25,000 below! And there was the fundraiser for Connor's Run on a freezing morning and contributing to Anzac day in Beaumaris.
As well as singing there is the fun. The trivia night, street carols, and the get together at the Sandy pub. And we still have our Xmas party on Saturday which will be a great celebration. Phew!
The biggest changes happened at the start of the year and there was more during the year. We were funded to buy a sound system (thank you Bayside Grants Programme) and are learning how this can enhance our sound. We purchased choir risers so we look good and everyone can see and hear (and we no longer have to pay big hire fees for every event.) Clare filled in for Patrice – aren't they and their twinkling fingers a joy? On Monday, Patrice sent us her best wishes and love for the Carols.
There was sadness too, when Darryn Wright died suddenly. I'm still shocked to remember that news and we all have missed his talent and his quirky humour at the rehearsals. We soldiered on and I'm sure it’s what he would have wanted. He was very committed to making music and enjoying music
Next year is an opportunity to build on what we have and to introduce new stuff. I say "stuff" because I'm not sure what is coming, so it makes sense to invite you to make suggestions on what "stuff" you would like to see in 2019 and what changes you would like us to make. For example, do we do more external performances or more social activities? Should we increase or decrease the term fees? Should we have tablets instead of paper? Go for it - let your imaginations run wild. What would you like Vocally Wild to look like in a year’s time?
I do look forward to seeing everyone next year. The first rehearsal is on the 5th February, the AGM is in March, and our concert is booked for 14th June.
Best wishes, Russel.
CHOIR TERM DATES FOR 2019
Term 1 – Tues. 5th Feb., concluding on Tues. 2nd April.
Term 2 – Tues. 23rd April, concluding on Tues. 25th June.
Term 3 – Tues. 16th July, concluding on Tues. 17th Sept.
Term 4 – Tues. 8th Oct. concluding on Tues. 3rd Dec. TBC |
So please note, our first Choir rehearsal for 2019 at Sandybeach Centre will be Tuesday, 5th February, 7.30 p.m. Invoices for your term, semester or annual Vocally Wild fees will be sent to you shortly. Fees will remain the same as in 2018 - $80 per term, whether you pay by term, semester or for the year.
FUNDRAISER – CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS, CAKES, SHORTBREADS
Maggie, Toni and Pat cooked up a storm and raised $1,009 for the choir’s coffers. Thank you to everyone for your enthusiasm in placing your orders. This was our ‘swan-song’ year (someone else may wish to take over!!) – we started doing this as a fund-raiser for the first Italy trip, in 2012, and sort of kept going! Enjoy!
CADENCE CONCERT
Diana’s choir, ‘Cadence’, will be holding its concert, “Peace on Earth” on this Sunday, 16th December, at St. Agnes Church, 35 Arkaringa Street, Black Rock, commencing at 4.00 p.m. Tickets at door ($15/$10). Light refreshments will be served afterwards. Diana suggests you arrive 15-20 minutes early to get a good seat.
PERFORMANCE OF COMBINED CHOIRS
Earlier this term Sean Kavanagh, the Performing Arts Co-ordinator, Arts and Cultural Services, from Kingston Arts talked to us about a combined performance of choirs from Bayside, Kingston and Glen Eira to take place on Saturday, 7th September, 2019. Planning is well under way; the theme will be “Shanties” and many of the songs will be written particularly for this concert depicting local history. There will be a Workshop/Registration Day on Saturday, 2nd March, Cost $5.00. There will be no charge for taking part in the rehearsals or performance. Further details will follow in the New Year. Sean hopes that there will be a mass choir of 200 or more, which will be very powerful and exciting to be a part of.
CELEBRATING MEMBERSHIP OF VOCALLY WILD
Sue Beazley, our resident ‘historian’, was looking through her copious records of Vocally Wild/Broken Voices/Cantata memberships recently and wanted you to know that quite a number of our current members this year are celebrating 10 years of singing with Vocally Wild. These are: Janet Bassett-Smith, Kate Chen, Suzanne Conway, Kath Cooney, Judy Costello, Maggie Cripps, Moira Dacy, Caroline Dunn, Toni Evans, Peg Gill, Averil Humphris, Cate Jarvis, Jo Mansutti, Claude Mansutti, Lidia Maslin, Christine Montgomery, Angela O’Loughlin, Kate Olson, Fran Ponsonby, Kate Rouse, Heather Spooner, Robyn Stevens, Cecilia Stone, Cherry Tunnock, Teresa Valentine, Heather Walker, Ken Walker, Penny Wolf, Caroline Dunn, Joan Dyring, Maggie Cripps and Kate Olson. There ws obviously a huge intake of members ten years ago! Sue’s records are ‘gold’ because Sandybeach’s computer records only started sometime in the 2000s.
Of course, many current members started prior to 2008. If anyone wishes to cast their eyes over the history of membership of “Vocally Wild” and the two original choirs, “Broken Voices” and “Cantata”, Sue would only be too happy to oblige, but in this instance she feels it’s a good time to celebrate the 10 Year intake. Russel is definitely the only recorded male from Broken Voices (20 years!), although Clint tells Sue he did one year with Broken Voices before leaving!
CAROLS SHEET MUSIC
Maggie has requested that you return your Carols music to choir at the start of 2019, so they can be collated and retained for distribution at the end of the year. Please, if you are using clear sheet covers over your music, could you take these off and just staple your set of music together before you hand them in. Thank you. We are saving many sheets of photocopying this way.
SANDY FORESHORE by Ilse Zipfel (Alto)
Ilse is very involved with a group of writers in Bayside and is currently working on her lyrical work towards producing a poetry book. Here is her very seasonal ‘Sandy Foreshore’:
splendid
this early morning
for workout striders
alongside shorelines
for gentle waves move silvery blues in light
in ripple fashion to and fro
with gliding sounds towards walkers
close by
promises in tune with ocean’s morning blue
melt towards azure
then distance brilliantly captures
ultramarine
pulsating imaginings descend as motive for Galatea
while mothers and children play
under today’s warming sky
ifz |
Have a
"Holly Jolly
Christmas"
and a safe, happy,
healthy 2019.
Santa’s not so little helper!
Picture -Teresa, during Black Rock ‘street singing’ festival!
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