Thursday, September 13, 2012

Outback Pretour Concert 9th Sept 2012

Photos courtesy Simon FitzGerald.
Semitones
Sister Act

Scherzi


Three Tenors

Paint Your Wagon

Yee Ha!!!

Hoe Down.
www.eskchoir.webs.com

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

SHAKEN AND STIRRED!.......


No, not  a recipe for his usual martini but the effect he created as this dashing "James Bond" made his "007" signature by-your-leave from the Stage at the ESK COMMUNITY CHOIR'S  "Our Gift to the Outback" Pre-Tour Concert on Sunday September 9th.
This inaugural  Concert in the new Somerset Civic Centre  took a wrapt audience on a musical journey as diverse as some of the places at which the Esk Community Choir will be performing during their 11 day concert tour of Central Queensland in just over one week's time.
What more fitting than a rousing Aussie Anthem opening by nine of the cutest little half-notes around,  the "Semitones",  as they performed the first item of the first Concert at the oh so impressive new Somerset Civic Centre... the next generation who hold in their hands the continuum of the wonderful music culture now legendary  in the Somerset Region and beyond,  created by the Esk Community Choir.    From Opera excerpts to an oxo cube of "Paint Your Wagon".  From Broadway  to some 1920's bawdy Scherzi ballyhoo and some uncloistered irreverence when Mother Mary Nag-a-Lot and her saucy Sisters took to the stage, this was a concert which had the near capacity audience applauding for more.   And more they got with a lively interpretation of the Italian song "Zing Zing" as an encore.   Like a great bottle of red, this Choir just seems to get better with age!!!
Following a cuppa and an afternoon tea that tasted as tantalising as it appeared in the Somerset Civic Centre's sumptuous foyer,  the satisfied audience made their way home with, as one of closing numbers suggested,  a song in their hearts,  excited by the prospect of the Choir's upcoming Christmas Concert on December 2nd,  and more and more amazing musical moments this Civic Centre and this wonderful Esk Community Choir will have in store.
For the next page of the journey.... "Our Gift to the Outback"  Concert Tour..... Watch this space!!!

By Susan Walker.     (see our Preparation Story Click Here)


 


Monday, September 10, 2012

Somerset Civic Centre a hit with the community


MEDIA RELEASE
10 SEPTEMBER 2012

Somerset Regional Council Mayor Graeme Lehmann, 
show ball organiser Patti Jaenke 
and Esk Show Society president Michael Jess. 
Photo: Tom Threadingham, Gatton Star. 

THE Esk Show Ball and Esk Community Choir concert were the first events to be held in the newly constructed Somerset Civic Centre at the weekend.

The $5 million facility on Esk-Hampton Road replaces the former Lyceum Hall in Esk which community groups used until it was destroyed by fire in 2010.

The new state-of-the-art building also owned and operated by Somerset Regional Council welcomed almost 400 people for the inaugural Esk Show Society ball on Saturday night.

The following day hundreds gathered for the Esk Community Choir concert which was also a huge hit.

Somerset Mayor Graeme Lehmann said both events were “absolutely fantastic”.

“The centre was definitely put to good use and it was fantastic to see so many people come out and support these community events,” Cr Lehmann said.

“The old hall would never have fit this many people, so it’s great to see this new hall will get plenty of use and its facilities put to good use.

“There were only a few minor teething problems with sound but that’s nothing we can’t fix. Overall both events went really well and were really enjoyable.”

The centre includes an auditorium, foyer, dressing rooms, kitchen, bar and multi-function room.

The civic centre is more than twice the size of the former Lyceum Hall and has the capacity to seat 800 people in the main auditorium and can cater for 120 people in the foyer.

The next event that will be held in the civic centre is the Valley FM Rave Awards on Saturday night (September 15).

The Somerset Civic Centre was funded by a $2 million grant from the Federal Government’s Regional Development Australia Fund, $1.6 million insurance claim and Somerset Regional Council invested the rest.
By: Melanie Maeseele










Saturday, September 8, 2012

SINGING TO INSPIRE THE GENERATIONS IN ESK













by: Sue Walker
Music is a universal language. It is present in us all.   It crosses boundaries, borders, impairments and generations and on Tuesday 4th September in the Esk State School Music Room, Alexis FitzGerald and her Esk Community Choir along with Adam Smith's Senior School Choir represented some of those generations inspired by music.

Children as young as five years old, part of the singing group, the "Semitones", opened the afternoon's proceedings with a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem and everyone present could not help but be impressed with nine year old Aydan Forsyth's fabulous rendition of the lovely old Australian song "Ten Thousand Miles Away".   
Alexis then proceeded, with the help of some physical aids, to explain to the children what it means to be “a choir ".  It was with a certain degree of relief amongst the "oldies” that most of the questions were capably dealt with by the kids!!   The generations combined to very capably perform a couple of three part rounds which raised the roof with some truly mellifluous harmonies.  Then the Esk Community Choir presented the kids with a new twist on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and appropriately completed the hour with their stirring rendition of “We Are a Choir".



It is from these wonderful learning opportunities and reinforcements that children carry their love of music into adulthood, the physical and mental benefits of which speak for themselves.  You only have to come to Choir practice at St Agnes's Hall at 7pm on any Tuesday night to see that I am right!!

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