Cafe Concert: An Italian Evening 22nd June 2008
It’s wonderful to have a concert booked out weeks before the performance date. This happened at our recent Italian Café Concert. It was the first café concert for some years and showed that our patrons really enjoy this format. The music was selected from Italian opera, madrigals and folk and popular songs.
The concert gave our members the chance to let their hair down – not least in solo performances with Karen Boer and Yvonne Williams giving a whole new meaning to Rossini’s ‘The Cat Duet’ and John Cameron showing off his rich bass technique in Mozart’s ‘Non Piu Andrai’.
Martin Liebermann showed a stratospheric tenor leading the choir in ‘The Chorus of Wedding Guests’ from ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ and John Stubbings and Helen Lyth tempted both choir and audience to ‘drink to life, youth, love and laughter’ in ‘Brindisi’ from ‘La Traviata’.
Manfred Pohlenz proved yet again his acting and singing mastery in the champagne aria and ‘La ci daram’ duet from Don Giovanni, the latter with Helen.
Our audience enjoyed the opportunity for Cantiamo Insieme! i.e. ’Sing along with The Geelong Chorale’ in popular songs including ‘That’s Amore’ and ‘Volare’. Review by Helen Lyth
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Photo from our recent performance, "Requiem" by John Rutter at Sacred Heart Performing Arts Centre on Sat.12th April 2008 |
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Visit of the Sazanami Mixed Choir to Geelong Friday August 18th – Sunday August 20th 2006 |
The Sazanami Choir’s first bracket immediately delighted the audience with the rhythmic etude “Shoga” and “Ame” (Rain).
The two choirs combined for the traditional Japanese song “Fusuru”, “With a Swag on my Shoulder” (arranged by Malcolm John) and “Locus Iste” by Bruckner.
The three conductors: Rick Prakhaff, Eiko Hironaka and Katsumi Teranishi.
| “St. Matthew Inspires St. Luke’s”, Sunday 11th September 2005 |
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One of Australia’s leading conductors and music educators brought the sound of angels to Geelong on Sunday 11th September 2005. Graham Abbott, the presenter of ABC Classic FM’s “Keys To Music” program, brought together a number of Geelong choirs for a one-off event at St. Luke’s Uniting Church in Highton. He took the singers through a choral master class, using selected movements from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Mr. Abbott said, “Bach’s St. Matthew is one of the greatest treasures of western music. It has the power to move an audience and its performers.” This was evident to singers and audience alike as Mr. Abbott’s passion for the music was infectious. He has a rare ability to encourage singers with his passion and bring out the beauty of the music and the meaning of the words. Whether old or young, the singers found something within themselves to continually improve a phrase, passage or movement. Over a number of weeks of rehearsals, the combined choir had been well prepared by the Chorale’s Director of Music, Rick Prakhoff, and divided into two evenly balanced sections. Having two choirs is a particular element of the performance of the St. Matthew Passion. Both choirs were completely familiar with the two choral sections, so that Mr. Abbott was able to interchange whole movements, much to the enjoyment and appreciation of the audience. Singers from the Geelong Youth Choir joined those from the choirs of St. George’s, All Saints, St. Luke’s, St. Mary of the Angels, and St. David’s churches, U3A choir, the Split Point Singers, Wondrous Merry and The Geelong Chorale. Anne Pilgrim is to be especially commended for her capable and enthusiastic accompaniment for the performance. Review By Amanda Fraser, with thanks to Michael Auciello of the Geelong Advertiser.
The Geelong Chorale joined in “A CHORAL CELEBRATION’’ at The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, Yarra Street, Geelong, presented by The Geelong Grammar School, The Royal School of Church Music Australia (Vic.) and The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. The concert opened with the combined choirs singing “Psalm 150” composed by Chorale member Malcolm John. The undoubted highlight was, fittingly, the “Celebration Mass” especially written by Nicholas Buc for the Sesquicentenary (150th) of Geelong Grammar. This stirring piece of music combined The Geelong Chorale and the choirs of Geelong Grammar School, The Geelong College, St. Mary’s Basilica, St. Luke’s Uniting Church and All Saints Anglican Church. A feature of the work was the wonderful brass and percussion players who were situated up high, at the opposite end of the Basilica. Two organs, one at each end, thrilled the capacity audience. This special choral celebration was ably conducted by Tom Healey, Musical Director of the Geelong Grammar School. The Basilica’s wonderful acoustic accentuated the Chorale’s haunting interpretation of their individual items “Locust iste” by Bruckner, “Bogoroditsye Dyevo“ by Rachmaninov and “O Salutaris Hostias” by Rossini, conducted by Rick Prakhoff. Review By Amanda Fraser.
The
Geelong
Chorale thrilled a full house with Haydn and Handel at All
Saints Church in Newtown last night. The concert was the
Chorale’s first for the year and included Haydn’s “The Great
Organ Mass” and Handel’s “Four Coronation Anthems”.
Conductor
Rick Prakhoff always surprises me with how his mood can create
the right atmosphere with his leadership for each concert.
The
orchestra opened with Handel’s “Concerto Grosso Opus 3 No. 4”
which stilled the audience. Orchestra Leader Ben Castle did a
marvellous job as you could literally hear a pin drop.
Organist
Tom Healey brought the choir to life with Haydn’s Mass. If
anyone had become too calm from the earlier piece, they would
have soon found themselves wide awake.
Each
section of the “Four Coronation Anthems” had its individual mood
and complimented the other. The soloists, Lisa Breen (soprano),
Alison Ralph (alto), Daryl Barclay (tenor) and Brad Walter
(bass), gave terrific support to the Chorale’s fine performance.
“Zadok the Priest” in particular did not disappoint the
audience. This was one of the Chorale’s finest concerts I have
attended.
Geelong
audiences witnessed a marvellous production of this cantata on
Saturday night. The Geelong Chorale was joined by singers from
the St. Mary of the Angels Choir, the U3A Choir, Wondrous Merry,
the Split Point Singers (Aireys Inlet) and members from St.
Paul’s, St. David’s, All Saints, Belmont Uniting and St. Luke’s
church choirs. Their professional contribution to this wonderful
performance belied their amateur status.
The
Geelong Youth Choir, conducted by Jodie Townsend, was placed
above and to the right of the main stage which heightened the
impact of their excellent singing and the three boy sopranos are
to be admired for their heavenly interpretation as the Pickled
Boys brought back to life.
Under
the expert guidance of Rick Prakhoff, the youthful Bay City
Strings continued to demonstrate their sensitivity in this
performance and Ben Castle played the difficult violin solo in
the first movement with faultless intonation.
The
acclaimed tenor David Rogers-Smith delighted the audience in the
title role of St. Nicolas, successfully communicating the drama
and the introspection of the life of this well-loved saint.
It
should also be mentioned that the audience made a meaningful
contribution to the performance by singing the two hymns with
real commitment.
The
first half of the programme began with The Geelong Chorale
“stripped bare”: unaccompanied and without scores. The
sensitivity of their interpretation of the pieces, “Locus Iste”,
“O Salutaris Hostias” and “Bogoroditsye” reinforced their status
as Geelong’s premier choir.
Another
highlight of the evening was Hugh Davidson’s performance of
Berg’s “Sonata”. He showed that he was a worthy winner of the
Geelong Musical Society’s 2004 Young Musician’s Scholarship.
The Bay
City Strings-Chamber Strings, under the guidance of Ben Castle,
delighted the audience with three varied pieces, including the
beautiful “Sinfonia in C” by Vivaldi.
Congratulations to all involved in mounting such a brilliant
evening and thanks to Anne Pilgim, Geelong Chorale President,
for drawing together the singers and musicians from across the
region, and to Rick Prakhoff for his musical leadership in
giving Geelong a very special evening.
On
On
Review By Amanda Fraser.
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