Male Choirs Association

of Australia

MCAA FESTIVAL – 13thto 15thOctober 2017

MCAA BULLETIN No. 6 (Sep 2017)

From the President – Neil Kinsey

This year we will have 330 choristers singing at the MCAA Concert at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Sunday 15th October 2017.

The choirs which will be represented are:

  • Arcadians Lamplighters Male Choir
  • Australian Rugby Choir
  • Australian Welsh Male Choir
  • Canberra Men’s Choir
  • Cantorian Sydney Male Voice Choir
  • The Con Men
  • Greater Western Male Choir
  • Ku-ring-gai Male Choir
  • Melbourne Male Choir
  • Melbourne Welsh Male Choir
  • Orange Male Voice Choir
  • Sydney Male Choir
  • Wagga City Rugby male Choir
  • Wellington Male Voice Choir

This will be the first time that the Cantorian Sydney Male Voice Choir has performed at the Male Choirs Association of Australia concert.

We welcome our Wellington colleagues once again from ‘Across the Ditch.’

Included in the concert is the NSW Police Band which was established in 1895 and proudly serves as one of only two Police Bands in Australia. This full time highly regarded unit under the Command of Senior Sergeant Murray Mayday, and the music direction of Conductor John Saunders, fulfils over 200 engagements.

The String Family are musical gypsies, a travelling family string quartet. Hailing from Wollongong, they began their tour around Australia in February of 2016 and have been performing around the country ever since so they will add a new dimension to our concert.

I would like to acknowledge the hard work of Dave Bryars and his organising committee who have worked tirelessly to organise this year’s festival in Wollongong.

This concert takes us in a new direction.

Following the unfortunate withdrawal of Richard Gill for health reasons, the Committee decided to invite the two youngest MDs in the MCAA family to conduct the concert.

Keiren Brandt-Sawdy – Co Musical Director

Keiren was recently appointed Musical Director of the Sydney Male Choir, and after leading them on a very successful tour of New Zealand at the beginning of the year, is fast earning a reputation as a fine choral conductor. Keiren is also Musical Director of the Men’s Shed Chorale and has directed community choirs for many years.

Tom Buchanan– Co Musical Director

Tom is a well-known and highly regarded Melbourne-based choral conductor, currently directing the Australian Welsh Male Choir, Excelsis and the Mornington Peninsula Chorale. Tom has also been the Musical Director of Casey Choir (Berwick, Victoria), Out of the Ordinary (Monash University), and has directed choirs at both Eltham College and Christ Church Grammar School (South Yarra) where he currently works, primarily as a piano teacher. In recent years Tom has conducted performances extensively throughout Australia, as well as performing internationally in the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the USA. In addition to his experience as a choral conductor, Tom has also had the opportunity to conduct both professional and community orchestras in some of Melbourne’s major performance venues, including St Paul’s Cathedral, St Patrick’s Cathedral and the Frankston Arts Centre. Tom.

Emily Leong - Accompanist

Virtuosic pianist and educator Emily Leong is a highly versatile musician, experienced in both classical and contemporary styles. Her diverse performance experience encompasses ensemble and solo playing as well as choral, musical theatre and orchestral repertoire. In 2013, Emily completed her Master of Music (Performance) at the Melbourne Conservatorium. A strong believer in the life-changing results of music-making, Emily has taught the under-privileged and disadvantaged in the Philippines, China and Myanmar, as well as locally through The Song Room organisation. She is passionate about engaging people with creativity, and believes that it is never too late to interpret, invent and imagine.

Dr Paul Whiting OAM - Master of Ceremonies.

Dr Paul Whiting OAM (MA (Hons); Dip Ed; L Mus; ThC; PhD) studied music (piano, theory and harmony) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Musicology at the University of Sydney. He plays piano and organ, and is the conductor of the Ku-ring-gai Male Choir. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for contributions to the community through choral music.

Pre-concert mass rehearsals

Combined rehearsals are taking place in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney prior to the concert with our two conductors, which will certainly value add to the concert.

Timetable for the Weekend

There will be an informal gathering where the MCAA Executive will meet and greet those MD’s and Accompanists who are in Wollongong on the Friday evening.Details to follow

Saturday 14th October

NB: You are asked to bring your music, a pencil and a water bottle and ensure that you strictly observe the times shown in the timetable

9.00 Choristers are asked to be seated in their allocated area in the Wollongong Entertainment Centre prior to being marshalled onto the stage. This will follow the same format as per Canberra for those in attendance in 2014.

10.00 Rehearsal with conductors

11.00 Short break of 20 minutes

11.20 Rehearsal with conductors

12.20 Lunch Break

13.20 Rehearsal with conductors

15.20Conclusion of rehearsal

The proposed Saturday workshops will not take place due to insufficient numbers to make the event viable. We apologise for any disappointment.

Sunday 15th October

10.00 Sound Check and run-through of any matters outstanding from Saturday

11.00Rehearsal with the NSW Police Band

12.00 Lunch break

13.30 Marshalled for the Concert

14.00 Commencement of Concert

16.00Conclusion of Concert

Choristers will be able to use the assigned dressing rooms prior to being marshalled to go on stage to change for the performance. These dressing rooms will be organised to assist with the marshalling of choristers onto the stage. Choristers should change in their assigned dressing rooms.

Choristers are strongly advised to ensure that they have a water bottle with them on stage at all times and to stay hydrated.

The Saturday Evening Dinner

It is proposed to have a formal dinner instead of an afterglow. The menu and price is as follows:-

MENU

Entree

Vietnamesepoachedchicken withmintcoriander(GF)

Roastedpumpkin,olivefetasaladwithfreshoreganodressing(V)(GF)

Main Course

Searedsalmonwithcolcannonmashsweet onion relish(GF)Glazedchickensupremewith misoroastedeggplant

Sourdoughbreadrolls &butter

Freshlybrewedcoffeeteaselection

(Minimum number 100)

$46.00ppmenuprice2course(alternateserve)

As a matter of urgency, we request Choir Secretaries to circulate this to those attending the concert to get an indication of interest and advise numbers by 22nd September, once received we will advise payment details.

Purchasing of Tickets for the Concert

Please remember, if you haven’t already done so, please purchase your concert ticket immediately to avoid disappointment.

The Afterglow

There will be no formal ‘Afterglow’ with this year’s concert. Choirs are free to leave Wollongong at the conclusion of the concert.

Alternatively they may wish to join with other choirs in a celebratory get-together. If this occurs it will be with the MCAA’s blessing, but without the Committee being involved in the organisation.

Conclusion

By the time you read this bulletin, it will be about 4 weeks to go until the concert weekend. We hope that you are all fully prepared and we extend our sincere thanks to the Musical Directors of each choir for your dedication to the task. We feel sure that all your hard work will pay off on the day.

We wish you safe travels to Wollongong and hope that we have fine weather to enable us to explore the area in any free time that we get.

Best wishes

Neil Kinsey and the Organising Committee

MCAA Festival 2017- Bulletin No.6 (Sep 2017)Page 1of4