Spring in the Ballroom... delightful afterall!

Our Spring in the Ballroom concert was a wonderful success. Where we performed pieces from the 16th Century right up to now.

Here are a few photos of our afternoon.
Photographs by: Ignacio and Francisca Garcia

Review :: Alto on a high note

From The Community Newspapers
06/10/09

PUBLICATION REVIEW
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Review: From Community Newspapers
Link: inmycommunity
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THE New I Voci Singers choir has been hitting the high notes for three decades and continues to attract young members, including Hamilton Hill singer Teresa Ingrilli.

The choir performed at retirement villages and at its own events in the early years of inception but has gained national recognition as a professional group over the years.

Its annual spring concert, titled Spring in the Ballroom, will run at Government House Ballroom on Sunday from 3pm.

The concert funds will go towards the group’s trip to Germany in January, as well as future publications and CDs.

Ingrilli, who sings in the alto section of the group, said the audience could expect to hear music ranging from 16th-century madrigals to modern jazz pieces.

The 24-year-old joined the choir in 2005 and said she loved singing in a group.

“I love that the people are all my age and that it is a small group so everyone has an important part to play,” she said.

Her love of singing was kindled when she was eight and was chosen to be in her primary school choir.

She sang in choirs until Year 12 and started singing lessons when she was 16.

Ingrilli will sing solo during the Fremantle Festival at Kulcha on November 15.

Best of British Photos 2009

SUPER SAMMY!!!

I Voci




Sammy!

I voci has nabbed itself (ourselves?) an incredible new accompanist and we are so excited! Sammy McSweeney is our first accompanist since Alex that has really managed to work exceptionally well with our needs and the needs of John. He played for us during our recent appearance at a Spring concert for the Australian Choral Society, and of course did a fabulous job in helping us to bring 'ethereal mildness' to our audience.

Currently, Sammy is set to join us for our German tour. YAY! Though he currently remains somewhat of an enigma, we look forward to getting to know him better over the next few weeks and months.

Welcome, Sammy! We are so happy to have you!

Choral Workshop – Taiwan Style!

On Tues 25th August, we had the privilege of participating in a choral workshop led by Dr Yu-Wen Pan. Pan (this is how she introduced herself, I am not taking liberties), is an Assistant Professor at the National Taiwan Normal University. She teaches future music teachers. It was a full on night for us, but lucky John got to relax all evening!

We started off with a warm up. This reminded me of my university studies in theatre, as it encompassed our whole body. We did some breathing, but then moved on to “shaking out” and massaging our body, to release the tension of the day and enable us to focus on our voices. It progressed to rhythmic pattern mimicry, which started our diaphragms working in the correct way and our ears to work harder. The warm up also included what my singing teacher used to call “sirens.” The exercise of singing “oo” (kind of like an ambulance siren” from your low to high register and back down again, really opens up the throat.

We sang “Benedicum Domine” for Pan and then workshopped through it as she suggested how we could improve it. Pan asked us to try singing our parts without words, to the sound “ah.” Then, when we put the words back in, to keep our mouths in the same “ah” shape, so that the vowels didn’t get squashed. I found this technique really helpful, and it definitely improved my tone for this song.

Pan tried to explain to us the concept of “kendo”, which they use in Taiwan. I am not sure that I entirely got it. I wish I did, because it sounded cool, but I was so tired that my brain didn’t take everything in!!

I googled it, to see if that would help. All I could find is that it means “Way of the Sword” and it is a Japanese modern martial art form of sword-fighting, with a traditional basis.

Pan placed a lot of emphasis on involving the whole body while singing. Keeping the knees loose, as opposed to locked and allowing the body to move naturally. She also demonstrated using our hands to “shape” our voices and create the sound that we want. This was a new experience for me, and I guess for most of the others. I was concentrating very hard, trying to learn all I could, and therefore probably un-doing the relaxing warm up!

The part of the evening that I enjoyed the most was when we were singing an excerpt (to the text of “dah”) from “Carmen” by Bizet. As a side note: If you’re a “you-tuber”, look up Sesame Street Carmen. We found it by accident. Back to the main story: Firstly, we had to make sure we were all singing the same rhythm. I think there were some stray acciaccaturas! Then came the tricky bits... We went through it a few more times once singing only the first note of each bar, and another time singing only the third note of each bar. This was quite tricky, as it meant we really had to keep focussed and “singing” in our heads to get the right note.

Pan finished the evening teaching us a little Taiwanese tune, a phrase at a time. Then at the end asking us to take the phrases in our own time, holding any note as long as we wanted, then when everybody had finished each phrase, we would move on to the next one. It was very cool!
Thanks to Pan for her time and to the Choral Music Association of Australia for bringing her out to Perth and arranging our workshop.

Here's a photo of us all at the end of the night

Spring in the Ballroom... a delightful afternoon!

We've all been working hard to memorise and perfect our work in preparation for our major concert - it is sure going to be a good one this year! We're planning on providing a lovely spring afternoon of song in the Government House Ballroom - one of the most beautiful venues in Perth. Come and join us!

Come and join the New I Voci Singers for a Delightful afternoon of song in the Government House Ballroom.

Price:
Adult: $30.00, Concession $25.00

Date:
Sunday, October 11, 2009

Time:
3:00pm - 4:50pm

Location:
Government House Ballroom
St George's Terrace
Perth

Phone:
0893904275

Email:
ivoci@westnet.com.au

Review :: Choir Celebrates

From The Community Newspapers
05/05/09

PUBLICATION REVIEW
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Review: From Community Newspapers
Link: inmycommunity
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AFICIONADOS of choir singing can take a stroll down memory lane with one of Perth’s most popular choirs, the Kelmscott-based New I Voci Singers, after the publication of a book celebrating its 30-year history.

The idea for the book came from choir member Teresa Ingrilli, who also gathered information and designed it.

About 300 young people have belonged to the choir since it started under the directorship of John Christmass in 1978.

It originally performed mainly at retirement villages and other local venues.

“Today the choir stands as a respected group with a fine record of achievement and is arguably the busiest choir in Australia, consisting of youthful amateurs but with a professional level of performance,” Mr Christmass said.

“In just over one year we have given more than 15 public performances, including a special Christmas concert at the Perth Concert Hall.”

Mr Christmass said the common bond all choir members shared over the years had been their joy of making choral music together and the friendships they had established.

Its signature events performed each year include Anzac Day services, the Best of British concerts and the New Year’s Eve Vienna Pops concerts.

“Two concert tours to Germany have been highlights and a third invitation has been received, with a promise of concerts in Germany and Paris,” he said.

The 30-voice choir is preparing for its 18th annual Best of British concert at the Perth Concert Hall on May 23.

It will feature a mix of old favourites such as Rule Britannia, Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem, and some arrangements specially commissioned for the show.

This year’s concert will also feature the 50-piece Perth Pops Orchestra and soloists, including soprano Alexandra Bak, tenor Justin Freind, baritone Mark Alderson and alto Josephine Christmass.

For a copy, $12.50 each, call Mr Christmass on 9390 4275.
For more information about the group and the concert, visit www.ivoci.org.au.

Celebrating 30 Years Publication

ON SALE NOW!!

Celebrating 30 years of the New I Voci Singers!

From the beginning to the present and beyond.
This 30+ page booklet is a visually appealing and interesting read or a great gift for a friend.

For a copy, only $12.50 each, contact John Christmass on (08) 9390 4275.

smeh

I thought i should mention something about myself, not only to formally introduce myself properly (yes, i know im not that new!), but to see if i can actually use this blog thing (damn kids and their new fangled gadgets and whizzimijigs!) for future reference

anyways, im kim (or kimi, if you please) and im a second sop, and we're fairly awesome (not biased much), and im currently studying at curtin uni. I wont specify what course i am doing at the moment, mostly because i am currently in the process of switching, but i can say im doing a course in science and engineering, and am hopefully going to be accepted into the engineering degree, if all goes to plan.

i have many favourite composers, and not all of them are classical. i kinda like to think of metorphorically as the crazy cat lady of music, meaning that i have an ecclectic taste.

anyways, at the moment, some of my favourites include schumann, mendelssohn, holst, most of the songs by crowded house, einstein on the beach, chopin, stuff by voltaire (most recent obsession http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC6UtsPa13o love the violin stuff and the kooky rhythms/subject matter).

well then, might be time to wrap it up. i get too easily distracted and such.
much loves xx

Cool Britannia

Last Saturday, 23 May, The New I Voci Singers once again donned the black ties and tulle for this year’s Best of British at Perth Concert Hall.

Taking the form of a ‘Last Night of the Proms Down Under’, this event has proved to be a favourite on the calendar of Perth Proms audiences, and included the gorgeous sound of Perth Proms Orchestra and a bunch of our favourite soloists.

David Hawkes once again took control of the microphone and guided us through two acts of all that we’ve come to expect of a last night of the proms, some costuming, a bit of humour (sometimes of dubious quality) lots of music and a big finish, complete with a drunken sailor, an explosion full of glitter confetti, streamers from the upper circle and balloons from the ceiling.

The excitement in the auditorium was mirrored absolutely by the energy backstage. From obsessing over hair styles and dresses, to the traditional cards tournament between tenors and basses; every member of the choir has their own method of preparing for the moment of truth.

Of course, the performance cannot be possible without a great deal of preparation, which for us included our usual Monday night rehearsals, as well as special rehearsals on the Friday evening beforehand, as well as during the day on Saturday. Not to mention the times outside of formal rehearsal that we all drive our friends, family and workmates mad with snippets of song, muttered under the breath because we simply can’t get them out of our minds.

In the end, the show went off without a hitch (at least without any hitch that you would have seen from the audience) and, with some toora-looras, a few hey nonnys and a whole swag of pomp and circumstance, The Best of British wrapped up for another year.

But, of course, there’s no rest for the wicked. We’ve started preparations already for our September performance at Government House Ballroom, with plans brewing for a possible extra show later in the year.