Choral

I have extensive Choral experience, as a Conductor, Chorister and Accompanist.  Some of my recent roles are listed below:

• 2019 – Current. Bass 1, Tenor 2, Principal Accompanist, Alto Recorder player for the Recorder Consort, and reserve Conductor, Tudor Choristers, Melbourne.
• 2020 – Current. Secondary Choral Teacher, Balcombe Grammar School, Mt Martha, Melbourne
• 2012 – 2020: Principal Conductor and Accompanist, Australian Youth Choir, Victoria
• 2016 – 2018: Accompanist and Associate Conductor, Excelsis Liturgical Choir (www.excelsis.org.au)
• 2016 – 2017: Accompanist and Musical Arranger: Stroke-a-chord choir (a Choir comprised of Stroke Victims throughout Melbourne).
• I am a full member of KMEIA (Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia) no:

  9848378

• Studied under renowned Choral Director/Composer Stephen Leek as part of my Master’s degree in 2012
• I have Perfect Pitch, a sound Choral voice and can sing in tune and parts
• I am currently undertaking Vocal training in order to enhance my tone.
• I have advanced accompanying skills, and often train a choir and conduct at the same time.
• I compose my own work for choir.  Here is an example – a warmup and vocalise for choir to be sung at the start of rehearsal, incorporating many choral techniques in a fun and musical way.

Tudor Choristers Melbourne Concert 14/12/21

Program:

Rehearsal Videos:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1da0e70j19cPIbuoTAYiLZWoT6DWRxVqY?usp=gmail

Morning Song: Vocalise warmup for Choir (using the Pentatonic Scale – d r m s l)

Morning Song – Complete score (PDF)

morning-song-vocalise-for-choir

Australian Youth Choir: Snippets.

In rehearsal, demonstrating Kodaly technique:

Combined Choirs in Concert – accompanying Final rehearsal of ‘Hot hot hot’. Phoenix Theatre, Elwood (Bill Simmons, Conductor)

Accompanying AYC in Concert – Phoenix Theatre, Elwood, November, 2016

For more examples of my work with AYC and Students from Ages 7-18, please visit:

Australian Youth Choir (NIYPAA)

Excelsis: Snippets.

Conducting ‘O Salutaris Hostia’ rehearsal before Mass at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Ashburton, Sunday 31/7/16

Conducting Excelsis: Sunday Morning Mass at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Ashburton, Sunday 12/2/17

Stroke-a-Chord Choir: Snippet.

Accompanying the Stroke-a-chord choir was challenging.  I had to adjust my playing to the choristers, some of whom could not keep in time because of their disability.  This required an expert knowledge of each score, and careful listening and adjustment of my part, leaping bars to where the choir was.  This was their final rehearsal before their annual concert at Ringwood in November last year.

Flinders College Choirs: Snippets.

Choral Performance.  This is a recording of the ‘Sea of Berries’ performed by Flinders College Senior Choir in Concert at Frankston Arts Centre, 2014 (Conductor: Emily Fairweather, whom I mentored into this role).  I accompanied on piano.

Choral Rehearsal.  This is a recording of ‘Listen to the rain’ presented by the Grade 1 Choir.

Beaconhills College (2017-19)

• I Trained the Grade 2 Choir to provide outstanding and engaging performances at assemblies throughout 2018 through rigorous but fun rehearsal techniques, extensive use of Kodaly and student conductor/soloist mentoring, quickly rendering this choir as one of the Junior School’s most sought after Performance Ensembles.
• Sample Performances:   
  Grade 2 Choir Performance – Bookweek assembly, June, 2018.  Performing ‘Good Night’ – Russian Folk Song (2 part).  I played accompaniment for this performance. Note the difference in this choir between this performance and the one below 2 months later.

Grade 2 Choir Performance – August 2018.  Performing ‘Don Gato’.  I trained the Choir and played accompaniment for this performance.  The improvement in Pitch, tone, clarity, technique, expression and overall confidence in this choir is evident in the 3 months from the first video. Note also the use of Keyboard Soloist and Student Conductor in this performance.

Australian Youth Choir in Concert, 2017. Gillian Carr (Conductor) and myself (Piano), prepared the choir of this performance of ‘I love a Piano’. Choir member ages ranged from 7-14 years of age.

Same concert, this time performing ‘I am but a small voice’

Same concert, this time conducting the entire Choir in the finale of the concert, in my own arrangement of ‘I am Australian, combined with two indigenous songs, and accompanying the encore, ‘Limbo Lumbo’ by Mark Puddy.