THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM THE ESK COMMUNITY CHOIR

Esk Community Choir - Christmas 2022

Take a bow Esk Community Choir! By anyone’s definition ‘celebration’ was the word of the day on Sunday December 5^th when the Esk Community Choir presented their Annual Christmas Concert held at the Somerset Civic Centre in Esk.

A concert, many weeks in the making, the choir was well and truly in the zone even before the first notes had been sung. As the choir men joined with the ladies on stage in a demonstration of some of the key elements of choral singing with a Nativity round, through to the choristers who gave their all in a spectacular finale of Christmas songs which prompted hairs on the backs of necks to give a standing ovation; from the poise and beauty of the Ukrainian Butterfly dancers to a bunch of very cute little elves with a kooky Santa riding the ‘Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train’, and all performances in between, this was a Christmas Concert befitting a Choir which has been drawing audiences into the glorious sounds of Christmas for 32 years.

Alexis and Bob

If an exceptional choir conductor is a strong communicator who has vision, gives clear direction and who engages her choir wholeheartedly, then Alexis FitzGerald O.A.M. who has been fulfilling this role with a passion for the past 44 years has to be pure gold. On this occasion, it was a case of tag-teaming with the musically gifted Ruth Skippen both as choir conductor and at the piano for the opening chorus of uplifting carols by the Ladies and Men’s Choirs, augmented in duet with the euphonious voices of Alexis and Bob, Eric and Roland alongside Suzanne’s and Ruth’s mellifluous flute accompaniments.

The yuletide gala continued with the choir’s own Glen Rock Uke Players whose rhythmic strumming and singing had the audience completely engaged, many unable to resist the urge to participate in song. There was the Sweethearts of Song’s dazzling harmonies aligned with Alexis’s sublime piano accompaniment of Natalie Sleeth’s ‘Hallelujah Glory Hallelujah’; Mr Smith’s talented little Esk State School Band thrilling Mums and Dads with their little bit of Christmas magic; Eric, again defying convention with his charming interpretation of Flanders and Swann’s ‘Hippopotamus’; and what’s not to love about every single performance of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ especially when it’s the tantalizing harmonies of Denis and Roland in collaboration with Ruth and her son Peter Skippen in accompaniment on piano and guitar?

It is almost considered un-Australian not to have loved the unique blend of voices created by ‘The Seekers’, the Australian folk-influenced quartet who has been filling the storybook of lives since 1962. On this day, the tribute to their music by Carolyn, Roland and Denis was truly uplifting, many remembering word for word ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’ and ‘The Carnival is Over’, the prophetic lyrics of two songs reflective of Judith Durham’s death in August for, in the hearts of those who loved her, there will never be another you.

Roland, Carolyn and Denis - Tribute to Judith Durham

Tom Byrne

Many Choir followers will know Tom Byrne who has not only been a valued member of the bass section of the Choir for years but the gifted creator of many of the stunning stage settings for productions the likes of Phantom of the Opera in Concert and Les Miserables in Concert. Health circumstances have forced Tom to take his leave from the Choir, but his versatility was again on display when the Choir, as part of their spectacular finale, presented Tom’s brilliant musical arrangement of the enduring classic ‘Walking in the Air’.

The tenderness of Robert Burns’ words penned for ‘Auld Lang Syne’ will always be felt, the sentiment expressing nostalgia and hope for the future. On this day in a perfect collaboration of Choir and audience, the Christmas version was no less meaningful. Full of the joy that music brings, concert goers trickled to the tables to further fill on kindly conversation and a tantalizing afternoon tea.

For the success of an event such as this there are so many people to thank. First and foremost, to our marvelous accompanist, Margaret, who found her place at the piano for opening and closing carols. Her determination to keep on keeping on despite her multitude of mobility concerns is an inspiration to us all; to Chayne and Jackie Walsh, the terrific team at the audio controls who allowed us to sound so much better than we hoped for; to Councilor Sean Choat, our eloquent host with the most; to the management team at the Somerset Civic Centre who are a constant source of cooperation; to the Editors of the Somerset Newspaper without whose support my stories and articles would still be just Word documents on my computer; to a very dedicated Choir Committee who work tirelessly behind the scenes along with a whole host of choir members who oft times go unrecognized for their volunteering roles which make our events flow so smoothly; and to our fans and followers whose smiling faces are constantly a presence at so many choir events and for whom this choir continues to exist. Finally, to Alexis, without whom this day may not have been. Your guidance, energy and talents are limitless and for this, your choir and a community are constantly grateful.

By: Sue Walker