Scotch College

Chamber Choir acclaimed as one of the best

The Scotch College Chamber Choir is firmly establishing itself as one of Australia’s leading school choral ensembles.

Words: ANDREW HUNTER • HEAD OF CHORAL MUSIC

Over the Anzac Day weekend the Scotch College Chamber Choir travelled to Brisbane to participate in the inaugural ‘Pemulwuy’ National Male Voice Festival. The enormous event featured male choirs from all over Queensland, as well as several invited school and adult ensembles from around Australia, including the Scotch Chamber choir.

Highlights of the festival were numerous world premiere performances of new works for male choir, which were specially commissioned by the festival from eight of the nation’s finest composers, including Scotch’s own Nicholas Buc (’99).

More than 350 singers descended on Brisbane Boys’ and Girls’ Grammar schools for three days of intensive rehearsals, workshops and six concert performances. The event culminated in a final concert in the Brisbane City Hall featuring performances by Scotch and five other guest choirs, more world premiere performances of commissioned works, and large-scale performances by the youth and adult massed choirs.

Scotch boys were billeted during the festival by members of the Brisbane Grammar community, and all reported having a fabulous time with their hosts. Some experiences included overnight stays in holiday homes on the Sunshine Coast, trips to the theatre or gourmet meals prepared by host parents who were professional chefs!

The Chamber Choir performed in three of the festival concerts to great acclaim, and was the only ensemble to present different repertoire at all performances – a testament to some very dedicated preparation work over the summer holidays and throughout term one.

The choir was complimented by many listeners on its mature vocal sound, and this became a topic for much discussion during the symposium’s breakfast forum. It was a great credit to our boys, almost all of whom currently study voice in individual lessons and treat their involvement in the Chamber Choir as a very serious musical pursuit.

The Chamber Choir tour completed a very busy 10 days of music making for many boys as it directly followed the annual choir camp in Daylesford on the preceding weekend, and the house choral festival the day before boarding the plane for Brisbane. I would like to congratulate our boys on their magnificent performances throughout the weekend, which have firmly established them as a leading school choral ensemble in Australia.

The choir will give the Melbourne premiere of two of the festival’s commissioned works in this year’s Foundation Day Concert on 3 September, which is sure to be a highlight of the night.
GS