The Inverloch hall erupted in song as a capacity audience joined local choirs under the baton of master conductor Jonathon Welch last weekend. Photo: Ken Elliott
By Larry Hills
LAST weekend, singers from seven choirs, from all over the South Gippsland region, came together for a choral festival conducted by Dr Jonathon Welch in The Hub at Inverloch.
The Sing South Gippsland 3 festival was organised by the Bass Coast Chorale and included singers from The South Gippsland Singers, Wonthaggi Sing for Fun, The Wonthaggi U3A Choir, The Blokes’ Chorus, the West Gippsland Chorale and Bass Valley U3A Sing For Leisure.
There were workshops which incorporated sessions of vocal technique and learning the music for a massed choir performance, plus a masterclass on Saturday evening when Jonathon worked with individual choirs in front all of the other participants to improve each choir’s performance.
On Sunday, the hall was filled to capacity to hear the choirs come together and perform. Each choir performed music of their own. There were some entertaining moments as some choristers who belong to more than one choir swiftly changed outfits as they switched from one choir to another.
Finally, all the choirs came together to perform as a massed group. The whole hall erupted into song as a capacity audience, directed by Jonathon, joined in the singing, harmonising with the choir. The massed choir then performed a new setting of the beautiful hymn “O Love”.
The concert – and the festival – ended with the Little River Band’s hit song “Help is on its Way”. This new choral version was specially arranged for the Queensland Music Festival as part of a national initiative to tackle the high rate of suicide by men and boys. It is hoped that music, in some way, can help raise awareness of mental health issues.
Sing South Gippsland 3 provided an opportunity for people to work with Jonathon and to experience being part of creating the big rich sound of a massed choir of a hundred voices. It also gave participants the opportunity to make connections with other singers in our region and, together, just to have fun with the music.
LAST weekend, singers from seven choirs, from all over the South Gippsland region, came together for a choral festival conducted by Dr Jonathon Welch in The Hub at Inverloch.
The Sing South Gippsland 3 festival was organised by the Bass Coast Chorale and included singers from The South Gippsland Singers, Wonthaggi Sing for Fun, The Wonthaggi U3A Choir, The Blokes’ Chorus, the West Gippsland Chorale and Bass Valley U3A Sing For Leisure.
There were workshops which incorporated sessions of vocal technique and learning the music for a massed choir performance, plus a masterclass on Saturday evening when Jonathon worked with individual choirs in front all of the other participants to improve each choir’s performance.
On Sunday, the hall was filled to capacity to hear the choirs come together and perform. Each choir performed music of their own. There were some entertaining moments as some choristers who belong to more than one choir swiftly changed outfits as they switched from one choir to another.
Finally, all the choirs came together to perform as a massed group. The whole hall erupted into song as a capacity audience, directed by Jonathon, joined in the singing, harmonising with the choir. The massed choir then performed a new setting of the beautiful hymn “O Love”.
The concert – and the festival – ended with the Little River Band’s hit song “Help is on its Way”. This new choral version was specially arranged for the Queensland Music Festival as part of a national initiative to tackle the high rate of suicide by men and boys. It is hoped that music, in some way, can help raise awareness of mental health issues.
Sing South Gippsland 3 provided an opportunity for people to work with Jonathon and to experience being part of creating the big rich sound of a massed choir of a hundred voices. It also gave participants the opportunity to make connections with other singers in our region and, together, just to have fun with the music.