Vocally Wild Choir Events
ANZAC Day Service
Easter Sunday 2025
 
Two of the Vocally Wild Choir fashionistas preserving their complexions under a collectors' item Abbey Road brolly, as you do, waiting for the warmup to begin with the Oakleigh Brass.
With the gods thus suitably provoked, the clouds gathered and the heavens opened right on cue for the flooding rains verse in My Country. Very dramatic. A choir in tune with the universe, you'd have to think. Even if a bit soggy.
Thanks to Bill, Emma and the ANZAC choristers (including welcome reinforcements of friends from Mosaic) for another lively contribution to this significant community event right in our neighbourhood.
Notice
Vocally Wild Choir Annual General Meeting
Beaumaris Community Hall
Tuesday 20 May 2025
6.30–7.30pm (before rehearsal)
Absolutely no obligation but all free to attend!
Rejoice, it's AGM time.
Come a bit early for the rehearsal that night and you can see community democracy at work!
Our much-loved Maggie Cripps is moving to lighter duties after years of coordinating all our music needs and keeping those folders up to date. It's been an amazing contribution of patience and dedication from one of the great characters of our choir community. We're thinking we'll need a small team to replace her :-) We will be looking to confirm available members to look after the music purchases, organise the music desk on Tuesdays, and to contribute to selecting the music at our quarterly repertoire meetings with Bill.
Our Secretary Helen Kezilas is also standing aside after literally keeping the choir going while we recovered after losing a lot of experience from the committee two years ago. We are working to reduce the workload by spreading tasks, and so will be looking for members with some available time to support our meetings (correspondence, agenda, minutes), build our networks (promotion, publicity, community contacts), or prepare items for our newsletter.
We are also open to offers from anyone to work on our website, assist with audio setups before rehearsals, work on a marketing plan for the choir, or help others to use laptops or tablets for their music.
Okay, it's an AGM. But you don't have to put your hand up – just come for a squizz!
Festival of Voices
Hobart, Tamania
Friday 27 June – Sunday 6 July 2025
https://festivalofvoices.com
We are not taking the Vocally Wild Choir show on the road to Hobart this year – although watch this space for 2026.
That won't stop anyone from the choir going anyway, and there's likely to be a good few who do. If you can possibly go, just do it. Decide your dates, make you own plans for flights and accommodation, book any sessions you fancy for the program online, and head south. Ask around the network for tips and help and gossip, and chat to Jill Callaghan.
The end-of-term Open Mic session is on 24 June, so you still have time to strut your stuff before you fly out.
Our 2025 Concerts
See the Summary of dates, below
Dates and venues for all four concerts this year are now confirmed, so please make sure you have them in your diaries.
We are still working with Southen Area Concert Band and Mosaic to finalise details of the combined concert in the Kingston Town Hall on 14 September. More information soon.
Queen Symphony
Grainger Wind Symphony
30 August 2025
Southbank
Sixteen members of our choir have registered their interest in participating in this special perfomance, with two rehearsals in Blackburn in July.
We will provide further details and access to the learning materials to the registered group shortly. There is still time to join in if you are interested – let Clint know on learnwks@bigpond.net.au, 0410 569 386
Summary of dates
| 2025 |
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| Term 2 |
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| Tue 22 Apr |
First rehearsal Term 2 |
7.30–9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Tue 20 May |
Vocally Wild AGM |
6.30–7.30pm |
In the hall, before rehearsal |
| Tue 24 Jun |
Last rehearsal Term 2
(with Open Mic) |
7.30–9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Fri 27 Jun |
Festival of Voices starts |
|
Hobart |
| Term 3 |
|
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| Tue 22 Jul |
First rehearsal Term 3 |
7.30–9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Sat 3 Aug |
VW Annual Concert |
2.00pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Sat 30 Aug |
Queen Symphony |
tbc |
IWAKI, Southbank |
| Sun 14 Sep |
Kingston Concert |
2.00–4.15pm |
Kingston Town Hall |
| Tue 16 Sep |
Final rehearsal Term 3 |
7.30–9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Term 4 |
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| Tue 7 Oct |
First rehearsal Term 4 |
7.30–9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
Tue 2 Dec
|
Last rehearsal Term 4
(with Open Mic) |
7.30–9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Tue 9 Dec |
Bayside Carols |
tbc |
Dendy Park Brighton |
| Sat 20 Dec |
VW Community Carols |
6.00–7.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
Vocally Wild teaching resources
For members: Getting the YouTubes
In case you missed the email (19/4) this week (Vocally Wild - songs for next rehearsal) with links to the YouTube videos for practising your songs, here's the information again on where to find the goodies any time on the Vocally Wild website.
Go to Members/Teaching Resources on the website or click here.
Tip: set up a Bookmarks folder for your YouTube song links
This is quickest and easiest way to access a group of links, in this case the SATB recordings for our songs.
Here's what it looks like in Safari on a Mac. I've called the new Bookmarks folder "VW songs 2025" and added it to my Favourites bar. Then I've opened the first two songs and saved the bookmark for each into the folder.
They then open and play with one click. Just add each of the other songs next time you play them.
What's on
The Great White Whale
Cinema Nova, Carlton
6.45pm Friday 16 May 2025
We received an email and poster from Michael and Robin Dillon, Producer/Directors of this award-winning film.
Why should choirs know about it?
"You need a sense of humour for such a crazy venture and the film is full of humour. It's equally enriched by wonderful music, thanks to another of those remarkable men on board. John Crick was just 22 at the time of the expedition, and when he and the others sat down to tell their amazing tale, John got up and sang these hauntingly beautiful songs he’d composed about this life changing journey. His songs have been wonderfully interwoven with additional music by the brilliant Australian musician and composer Paul Jarman. And with its overall cinema surround sound, someone has said you can sit in the cinema with your eyes closed and still be glad you came."
The World Peace Choral Festival
Vienna, Austria
July 2026, July 2027
https://www.wpcf.at
Ever alert to possibilities to sing anything anywhere and extend our musical experience, Pat Lowry has quietly dropped another temptation on the table, this time for Austria in 2026 – and 2027.
Perhaps if we take on Hobart again in 2026, we'll be ready for the world in 2027. You can only wonder what Peace might look and sound like by 2027.
ANCA Newsletter
March 2025
Vocally Wild is member of the ANCA, so we receive their newsletters and, importantly, take out our choir insurance through them.
The newsletters include summaries of choir events by region – you can check out the offerings for Victoria & Tasmania in the March edition, for example.
We recently updated the information about Vocally Wild on ANCA's Find a Nearby Choir directory, and there is also an events calendar we plan to use more for listing our concerts.
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