IPSWICH ORPHEUS CHORALE CELEBRATES A 50 YEAR MILESTONE

Massed Choirs at the Orpheus' Choir 50th  Anniversary Celebration 

It was Aristotle who once said the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  However, one doesn’t need to be a philosopher to know that at the time Mrs Aristotle penned that one for posterity, old Ari must surely have been urging his children to join a choir.  Two thousand odd years later and testament to Aristotle’s accuracy presented itself in the form of five outstanding choirs who came together in celebration of the Ipswich Orpheus Chorale’s fiftieth anniversary.

The imposing Ipswich City Uniting Church, it’s Wesley Chapel opened in 1858 reputedly making it Queensland’s oldest Church in continuous use, could not have been a more perfect setting for the gathering of these esteemed choirs and the large audience who came to listen.

Orpheus Choral Group  

The Blackstone Ipswich Cambrian Choir was established in 1886 and the Toowoomba Choral Society has been an integral part of the musical landscape of the Darling Downs since 1933.  With performance commitments elsewhere on this day, it was the Toowoomba Choral Society who were masterfully represented by the beautiful baritone voice of Ian Kammholtz.  The Ipswich Orpheus Chorale is now fifty years in the making, still boasting ‘original’ members, likewise the Esk Community Choir which has been under the continuous direction of its founder Alexis FitzGerald OAM since 1978 and all these, along with the next generation of choristers in the Young Orpheus Singers, brought not only a wonderful sense of musical history together in this historically significant building but each, through the sum of their voices, created harmony as a whole and the joy of choral singing, unsurpassed.

Esk Community Choir

Atop the programme ‘Purely for Pleasure’ was the brief so easily achieved amid so much amazing choral singing.  It was with gratitude that Alexis, Margaret and the members of the Esk Community Choir were invited to be a part of the celebration to mark this historic milestone in the life of the Ipswich Orpheus Chorale.  To Choir Director Vicki Jones, the Orpheus Committee and Choir members for your wonderful hospitality, we give our sincere thanks.

By: Sue Walker

Photos by: Marina Crichton 

Margaret & Alexis 

Orpheus Junior Choir 

Cambrian Choir 

A GIFT OF SONG AT THE GLEBE ROAD UNITING CHURCH

Esk Community Choir

“Service in Song” was realized alongside service amid songs at the Glebe Road Uniting Church, Silkstone on June 6th when the Esk Community Choir gave their gift of song to a gracious and grateful audience of men and women who came together from various churches to raise much needed funds for equipment for the ladies of the Ekaristi Church, a Protestant Church in Timor Leste, Dili.

From the colourful display of decorative tables and the tantalising morning tea, it was obvious from the outset that no amount of devotion was spared for the task of presenting a fundraiser worthy of the cause for which this day was arranged.  

Eric von Nida - Let Me Entertain You

The performance by the Choir was no less inspiring as they presented a repertoire which leaned heavily on variety.   Eric’s Let Me Entertain You set the bar high for some beautiful performances by other soloists, Denis, Di, Susie and Bob with equally emotive singing by ensembles and the full choir, with Kathleen, Carolyn, Maree and Susie aka the Sweethearts of Song injecting the sweet harmonies of the Andrews Sisters into the buffet of beautiful singing.  Though tacit recognition of the choir accompanist is often the case, it has to be said that the accompaniment played with such grace by both Margaret and Alexis on this day was an illustrious extension of the Choir’s sublime performances.

In the scheme of things, a sewing machine, over-locker, mix master and a small oven for baking might seem insignificant in a world of consumerism.  To many of the people in places like Timor, these gifts…small real gestures of human kindness…make big differences.  These, this day, were made possible by the hard-working folk of the Glebe Road Uniting Church and Alexis, Margaret and the Choir were honoured to have been invited to entertain such a welcoming audience, their gifts of song, a privilege.    

Margaret Philp - Accompanist

Denis Hawe - O what a Beautiful Morning

Di Chaplin - The Rose

Bob Hardy - The Music of the Night

 

Susan Walker - Puttin' on the Ritz

 

The Sweethearts of Song - Andrew's Sisters Medley

SINGING THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH THE R.S.L. DEDICATION AND AT BUNDALEER LODGE

by:  Sue Walker

"Service in Song" has been alive and well both in and out of  the  Somerset Region this past week,  firstly on September 26th with the Choir's participation at the Memorial Dedication  Ceremony held at Esk Memorial Park and two days later, while entertaining the delightful folk at Bundaleer Lodge Aged Care Facility in North Ipswich.

Mayor Graeme Lehmann unveiling the Memorial

The R.S.L's Charlie Elwell hosted this emotive ceremony with Mayor Graeme Lehmann having the honour of the unveiling and Fathers Terrance Hegarty and Ross Cameron bestowing the blessings.  Other distinguished invitees were a representative from Queensland's Department of Veterans' Affairs as well as spokespersons from the State Government whose contributions, along with the hard work by dedicated members of Esk's R.S.L. made possible this grand new Memorial to the Soldiers of War.  Of particular acknowledgement during speeches was the contributions made by the volunteer groups of Esk ladies who, during the war years, not only warmed the spirits of their serving men with letters and parcels, but also their cold and often muddied feet with oodles of hand knitted socks.  Again Alexis, Margaret and the Choir were privileged to have been invited to provide further poignancy to the occasion with their singing of hymns.

Then, with songs in their hearts and voices, Alexis, Margaret and members of the Choir put smiles on the faces of a capacity audience at Bundaleer Lodge, North Ipswich on Monday 28th.   Songs can truly be the language of many aging lives and with a mix of songs from well known Musicals and some lilting Irish folk-songs by the Choir, interspersed with beautiful solos and duets by Choir members,  glints of those sparkles of memory came flooding back.  "Beautiful!!" came the cry from the back of the room after each and every item...but despite our own Andy's delightful brother being slightly biased, the enthusiasm was evidenced all over by those who could not help but join in the singing.  It is not difficult to be moved when gratitude is so tangible, to watch faces light up; when it is the company of 'friends' and the joy of singing that they crave. 

Bass and Tenor section of the choir:
Roland, Lloyd, Roger, Alan, Catherine, Andy, Bob

Members of the choir at Bundaleer Lodge Ipswich.

Queensland Eisteddfod, Ipswich. 2012

WE CAME, WE SAW... and we conga'd our way onto the stage a total of eight times for the Esk Community Choir's performances at the Queensland Eisteddfod in the Civic Centre of this year's host city, Ipswich - notably the birthplace of the Queensland Eisteddfod some 119 years ago. 

This prestigious Eisteddfod, traditionally held over the Easter weekend, is an annual festival of both Vocal and Instrumental competition which attracts contestants of the highest calibre and competence and this year's was certainly no exception.  With such a rich history, this Eisteddfod has become, amongst other things, a significant part of the development and appreciation of the Choral art in Queensland.   A number of  Ipswich's highly acclaimed Choirs as well as Choirs from Toowoomba, Gladstone, Caloundra, Queensland University and, of course, Esk, all competed in the various sections of the Choral Competition over Good Friday and Easter Saturday and Sunday.

As the saying goes "if you don't risk anything, you risk even more"  and in a competition where the Esk Community Choir had nothing to lose and everything to gain by putting themselves amongst some of the most highly talented Choirs in Australia, we came out "winners" on so many levels.  To say that our courage was tested amid choirs whose volume and numbers are in direct alignment with their high artistic standards would be understating the facts.  However, the Esk Choir's performances were a testament to the commitment made through many long hours of rehearsals and practices to which Alexis and the Choir members dedicated themselves in order to achieve their utmost for this event.

One only had to listen to these huge (some numbering 90 SATB voices) and hugely talented Choirs to know that any expectation of a top three place was out of our league.  However, both the point’s scores and the adjudications we received were complementary, congratulatory and extremely encouraging.   Following the passionately delivered rendition of "O Pastorelle  Addio" when our initial butterflies were very capably eradicated, through another six sections during which our performances were received with high praise and finally to our stirring rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" when the audience positively cheered.... and that was BEFORE we'd  sung!!...the Esk Choir created some wonderfully memorable musical moments for a capacity audience. 

This report on our two days of competing at the Queensland Eisteddfod must not reach it's end before mention be made of the Men of the Esk Community Choir, though too much praise and who knows what might go to their heads!!?  Our men, with a heart stopping performance of "Lightning", by Greg Bilpin, were awarded 1st place in their section.  Now the details surrounding this victory I feel are irrelevant.  The scores are on the board and our men brought home 1st prize for their commitment to the mastering of this piece and their performance of it and  there would not have been a person in that Ipswich Civic Centre who would not have agreed with the adjudicator's decision.  

These moments of competing with and being witness to some quite spectacular Choral performances have been a huge learning curve for this Choir and another in the long line of open door opportunities for exposure to music and musicians at their finest.   To have competed with the style and confidence that they did alongside some of the most amazingly beautiful choirs in Australia and once again put the name and wonderful reputation of the Esk Community Choir to the forefront of the Choral world is to have indeed felt greatness.