A GIFT OF MUSIC THIS 2020 CHRISTMAS FROM THE ESK COMMUNITY CHOIR

Esk Community Choir 2020

It was a muggy forty something degree Brisbane Valley afternoon on Sunday 6^th December when people began arriving at the Somerset Civic Centre in Esk. However, no matter how oppressive the temperatures, concert goers certainly had no regrets about making the effort to attend the Esk Community Choir’s 30^th Anniversary Christmas Concert. With the easing of Covid 19 restrictions, a capacity audience was able to luxuriate in the welcome relief of an air-conditioned auditorium while savouring the much-anticipated musical entertainment which, following a nine-month live performance drought, was for the community a long-awaited gift.

Sean Choat - emcee

It was obvious that Sean Choat’s excellence as Somerset Councillor is on par with his eloquence as emcee as he confidently steered the event from its opening welcome by the Choir’s new President, Marina Crichton, through to its joyful finale of Christmas Carols.

How more appropriate an opening than the Beethoven composition, This Day We All Sing Together? In perpetual canon style, the combined voices of the Esk Community Choir paid tribute to arguably the world’s greatest composer with this song in celebration of his 250^th birth year.

Esk Community Choir

The sublime choral performance of Sibelius’s Be Still My Soul was magnified by the brilliance of ‘Sunshine Brass’ under the baton of Dr Heather McWillliams. Making their Esk Christmas Concert debut, the highly acclaimed ‘Sunshine Brass’ proceeded to thrill the audience with a diverse repertoire of exhilarating tunes ranging from Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves through Trombone favourites, precision pieces with percussion to a masterclass on xylophone with K.J. Alford’s The Two Imps.

Sunshine Brass Trombone Section

Xylophone Masterclass

Marina and Grace

It was obvious that mother and daughter duo, Marina and Grace Crichtons’ talents do not stop at hamming it up in front of amateur theatre audiences when they brought back in fine style Gershwin’s Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.

Following this, the poetic performance of the Fote flute duet Tutti Fluti by Suzanne Clemence and Ruth Skippen was a tour de force and will surely be a collaboration to continue enchanting audiences in 2021 and beyond.

It was a case of ‘if youth knew…if age could’ …and did when seven of the choir members, by and large bordering on ‘seniors’, stepped it out with the showstopper from A Chorus Line, ONE! While the original Broadway cast can rest easy in the knowledge that their place in the Chorus Line is fairly safe, these six ladies and Eric did manage to wow this audience in Esk with their sparkling song and dance moves.

Helene, Grace, Kathie, Eric, Marina, Sue & Anna

Seoneidin Granzien

Notwithstanding her tender years, Seoneidin Granzien’s vocal mastery has been gathering momentum with opportunities in and around South East Queensland. On this day Nedi’s outstanding solo performances of the emotive I Dreamed a Dream and All Bells in Paradise were an insight into the promising future that awaits this young lady in the world of music.

Helene and Denis Hawes

Variety continued to be the flavour of the day particularly when husband and wife, Denis and Helene Hawes captivated concert goers with Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Helene highlighting the sensitivity of lyrics with her graceful ballet.

Adding more spice to the variety, Denis, teamed up with the talented Christine Caldwell and, backed by a ‘cowpoke’ chorus of choir members, brought a little bit of Oklahoma back to the stage.

Marina, Caitlin, Anna, Christine and Denis

When the four red cloaked Sweethearts of Song sauntered up to their microphones, few could have fathomed their intentions until the familiar upbeat strains of All I Want for Christmas revealed all and silenced the speculation. Frocked in flapper dress they completed their bracket with the uplifting Andrews Sisters’ swing classic, In the Mood.

The Sweethearts of Song : Kathie, Sue, Carolyn & Maree

So endearing were the sparkling faces on the children of the Esk State School Beginner and Senior Bands as they so confidently performed their chosen pieces, a measure of the enjoyment of music encouraged by their mentor Mr Adam Smith and school Principal, Mrs Roslyn Waldron.

With umpteen Christmas raffles drawn and distributed during a short interval, the moment arrived for the full choir to bring to the audience the finale of soul-stirring songs to echo throughout the hall the sounds of Christmas. To Beethoven’s music of the ‘Moonlight Sonata’, Glory to God; the popular Newton and Coates spiritual arrangement of Amazing Grace; the glorious Corelli Cantata with Eric von Nida’s solo pathway to duets by Anna, Kathleen, Eric and Roger, these an entrée to encompassing the full choir. Pianists, Nola, Ruth Wyatt, flautists Suzanne and Ruth Skippen all adding another depth of loveliness to the already superlative accompaniment by Choir accompanist, Margaret Philp. Sing to the Lord in collaboration with the quintessential class of trumpeter, Matthew Lukritz, was the final uplifting choral number by the choir surely making the hairs on the backs of necks give a standing ovation. The beloved Christmas Carols sung in concert with the Sunshine Brass and audience left all in no doubt of the magic in music and singing that has been missing for so long.

When concert day comes around, the final product may often appear effortless… but it is not. The challenges faced this year by the Esk Community Choir in preparing for this event have been many and without the kind heart and dedication of Alexis FitzGerald and support of some amazing people this would not have been possible.

Alexis

To Choir Director, Alexis, who can make flowers bloom on stage and knows
her choir members are never fully dressed without a smile on their faces and
a song in their hearts, we give our thanks.

Margaret

Gratitude must also go to Margaret whose proficiency at the piano and long hours
of practice are often overshadowed by the singers for whom she plays.

We are also indebted to raffle donors, the Esk Lions who, without question, lavished us with those beautifully presented Christmas boxes and the Choir’s own Elizabeth Browne for her vibrant painting; to the Somerset Newspaper without whose support my stories would still just be Word documents on my computer; to the Somerset Regional Council for their support through their Community Assistance Grant; to Choir secretary Kathleen and a conscientious Choir committee along with the many choir volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to allow our events to flow so smoothly. Lastly, but never least, to our friends and followers who are constantly there to support the choir events and for whom we continue to exist. To all of you from all of us, have a very merry Christmas and blessings for a safe and happy year in 2021.

By: Sue Walker