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2010 May - Georgian Banquet hosted by Joseph Jordania
2010 March - Shalva Promo Images 2010
2009 September - Spring Song 2009
2009 July - A few words about 2008
2009 June - RhythmSong 2009 Pictures
2009 June - RhythmSong Music Retreat 2009
2009 March - Shalva Concert
2008 October - Spring Song in Subi 2008
2008 September - Tony Backhouse weekend Gospel workshop
2008 July - Mafumani Secondary School Touring Choir 2008
2008 July - RhythmSong Music Retreat 2008
2007 November - Spring Song in Subi 2007
Saturday 15th May
7 - 11pm
St Paul’s Church Hall
162 Hampton Rd, Beaconsfield
These are always fantastic uplifting occasions marked by feasting, toasting and singing.
Joseph is from Georgia, now living in Melbourne and this is the third banquet he’s hosted here in WA and he is indeed the perfect host in true Georgian tradition.
Tickets are $85 for a fully catered dinner with wine included.
Starting time 7pm.
There are limited tickets so book quickly to ensure a seat.
Bookings – contact Gyan 9335 7054, 0415 995 121 or at gya42@yahoo.com
Presented by Comsing Inc.
Shalva Promo Images: 1, 2 and 3
(Right click and 'save target as')
25th to 27th September, 2009
Main Venue: Floreat Uniting Church,
50 Berkeley Crescent, Floreat
Final revised programme now available to view and download!
Click here for the Final Programme
and new
Venue Location Map
Click here for a Choir Registration Form
Click here for a Public Registration Form
Spring Song is a music festival aimed at giving community singers a chance to perform and also to participate in quality workshops at the least possible cost. We are a not for profit entity and any profits from the festival will go towards seeding next year's event. Note that all members of choirs and singing groups will be offered discount weekend or day tickets.
This year's festival will have a Brazilian theme, drawing on the vibrant music and rhythms of Brazil. We have lured Diana Clark over from Melbourne to teach some of her amazing Brazilian repertoire and this will be reinforced by the Brazilian percussion skills of Richy Glasgow.
The structure for 2009 is slightly different from the past 2 years. This year we want participants in the singing workshops to be able to perform in the Big Sing which will be part of the closing concert. This will add extra energy and focus to the weekend and more fun for participants.
We’ll also be offering some great workshops in other styles of singing, Alexander technique, vocal technique and an ‘infomusic’ session. There’ll be an informal Friday opening event that will be free to those with weekend tickets.
Like last year the weekend will be structured around daytime workshops and afternoon and evening concerts and there’ll also be a café for catching up with friends. We think this combination of workshops and entertainment will make for an excellent weekend of community music.
Another exciting development....this year’s Spring Song is receiving sponsorship from Voice Moves WA, the association for singers in WA.
The festival can only succeed with the support of choirs and the singing community so we hope you can join us at Spring Song this year and make it another fantastic event.
Application forms for choirs and individuals are available here now and all information about the event will be posted here so watch this space.
Choirs interested in performing please contact Gyan to register your interest before filling out form.
Click here to view the Final Programme
and new Venue Location Map
Click here to download the Choir Registration Form or here to download the Public Registration Form.
Alternatively contact Matthew Clements on 08 9339 7333 or clementsm@bigpond.com for further details.
If you wish to attend but your choir is not performing, you can still access performer prices via the Choir Registration Form.
» Click here for a Choir Registration Form
» Click here for a Public Registration Form
» Click here to view the Final Programme
» and new Venue Location Map
Diana is an award winning vocalist, composer and choir director based in Melbourne. She is currently band leader of the Diana Clark trio.
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Music in performance and improvisation, she’s has been the recipient of two Australia Council Grants.
Diana is experienced in the areas of Jazz and Bossa Nova and sings fluently in Portugese. She and her musical and life partner (now husband), master guitarist Doug de Vries , have an ongoing love affair with Brazil and it’s music and have been there numerous times to immerse themselves in its culture and its unique musical environment . Their recordings, ‘Three Shadows of Blue’ and ‘A Knot in the Wood’,, have won art critic awards in Australia and the USA.
Diana has also released a CD of her own songs ‘Breathe in to Time’ to critical acclaim. She was a co-founder of popular a cappella group AKASA, (Best World /Folk album 2000 & 2007, CARA, USA) and in 2001 established Australia’s first performing Brazilian choir BORBOLETA.
Diana is an experienced workshop leader and director of choirs and has in the past directed the legendary 400 voice Melbourne Millennium Chorus.
At Spring Song in 2009 she will be teaching Brazilian songs and sharing her passion for that vital and infectious musical tradition.
Brazilian Songs - Diana Clark
Immerse yourself in the intoxicating rhythms, sensual Portuguese language and exquisite harmony of this diverse musical culture. Diana will be working from her recently published 'Borboleta BRAZILIAN SONGBOOK'. The songs will vary from dancey samba-reggae rhythms to luscious laments of yearning melancholy.
There will be two workshops on the Saturday (see programme) and on the Sunday morning Diana will teach an exciting combined workshop with our resident Brazilian percussion specialist, Richy Glasgow.
These workshops will lead to a performance opportunity in the closing concert on Sunday.
Working with Diana is great fun and this is a rare opportunity to work with one of Australia’s foremost artists in this genre.
Richy is a percussionist, musician and teacher with a passion for Brazilian music and rhythms. In 1990 he founded the famed Sambanistas, the original street percussion group in WA, and was their musical director until 2005.
He’s been involved with numerous community music percussion projects. For the Festival of Perth he directed ‘Indian Ocean Water Drumming’, a huge project that involved 500 drummers of different ages and he also created a Brazilian style Bateria for the Joondalup Festival involving 150 people. During this period he was also Artist in Residence at Newman, establishing Marra Mamba Samba. In 2005/2006 Richy received an Australia Council Fellowship to study street percussion in Brazil and its use in community groups.
He is skilled at working with groups, small and large, young and old, and loves the energy and musicality of Brazilian music.
At Spring Song he’ll be teaching percussion workshops and combining with Diana Clark to create a participatory performance at the closing concert. He’ll also be contributing a segment on Brazilian music and culture in the ‘Infoconcert’.
Brazilian Percussion – Richy Glasgow
Richy will be facilitating two percussion workshops on the Saturday, where people will learn some great grooves and rhythms. Brazilian music and rhythm is definitely for the people and can be enjoyed by everybody. It’s inclusive and accessible.
On Sunday morning he and Diana Clark will run a combined workshop in singing and percussion. It’s sure to be high energy and heaps of fun.
Chloe King is a dynamic, experienced and adaptable performer, teacher and musical director from the UK. With 20 years of stage experience under her belt, Chloe has performed, directed and conducted for a huge variety of music theatre, choral, cabaret and theatre productions. Performances range from ‘Threepenny Opera’ (Young Vic Theatre, London) to ‘Side by Side by Sondheim’ (Tobacco Factory, Bristol) to touring with the award winning UK a cappella group ‘Naked Voices’ and winning ‘Best Actress’ at the ITA DramaFest 2008 in Perth.
Chloe’s teaching style is inspiring and playful, whether teaching singing/voice work in her private studio or schools and music schools, directing choirs, or running vocal workshops for all ages.
Chloe loves to work with material from all over the world, ranging from Soul to the Sacred, from Gospel to Georgian harmonies, and from Music Theatre to pop, jazz, blues and folk.
Chloe teaches two projects for Musica Viva – the Song Safari Professional Development program for Perth’s Primary Music Teachers and the Rhythm of Life/Music for Life project in Mandurah. Chloe is also MD for the Band of Angels gospel choir (Fremantle) and for the Australian Youth Choir (Perth).
Having taught a Performance Masterclass for Spring Song in 2008, Chloe is really excited to be returning to teach a Vocal Technique Masterclass this year.
Qualifications include: Certificate of Teaching from the ABRSM, Levels 1&2 Estill Voice Technique and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Music Theatre (Bristol Academy of Performing Arts, UK).
Vocal Technique Masterclass - Chloe King
Chloe King will be running a vocal technique masterclass for Spring Song..
Come and explore the power of your voice! Learn helpful hints and tips on developing a strong confident sound and working with different vocal qualities and colours. The first part of the class will involve a group warm-up, exercises and a song. During the second section Chloe will be advising and working with a handful of individual singers – if you are interested please put your name forward immediately as places will fill fast.
Come and troubleshoot a song you perform/would like to be performing - or learn as you watch others raise their game through this workshop experience. Watching other singers working intricately is a fantastically valuable way to absorb new ideas.
Drawing from Chloe's extensive teaching and performance experience as a vocalist and actor, this friendly and supportive 'masterclass' will focus mainly on solving problems such as:
‘Why do I strain for high notes?’
‘Why are some words or phrases easy to sing and others are hard?
‘What do you mean by breath control?’
‘How do I create one voice? How do I sing smoothly through my ‘breaks’?’
‘How do I add in different colours without losing control of my tone?’
Places for this workshop will go fast, and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Bernard Carney, guitarist, singer, songwriter and entertainer is based in Western Australia and has worked full time as a performer in the Australian entertainment industry for 33 years. He has been a prominent guest at Australia’s major acoustic music festivals for the past 25 years and has released 9 CDs to critical acclaim. In March 2003 he was named Artist of the Year at the Port Fairy Folk Festival and also won the prestigious Lawson Patterson Songwriting Award. He has previously won three major songwriting awards.
In 1997 his song “Gardens of Death” was adopted as the international anthem for the campaign to ban landmines by the International Red Cross in Geneva who made it into an educational video and a CD single which has raised money for victims.
Bernard has been the musical director of the Working Voices Choir, the combined trade unions choir of Western Australia, since 1997. This choir performs at rallies, social justice events, union events and festivals and their repertoire reflects the member’s commitment to peace, social change, conservation, reconciliation and many more social justice issues where music can help to further a cause.
2007 saw the birth of the Spirit of the Streets Choir, originally put together from sellers of the Big Issue magazine and broadened out to include any potential singer from a disadvantaged background, or who was long term unemployed or disabled in some way. The choir is all inclusive and has performed at many conferences to do with social welfare and mental health and in October 2008 staged a phenomenally well supported concert at the Perth Concert Hall.
At Spring Song in 2009 Bernard will be performing in his own right and he’ll also be directing the Spirit of the Streets Choir in one of the Saturday afternoon concerts.
Infoconcert
On the Sunday he will share some of his experiences in his journey with this choir in the Infoconcert. This should be of interest to anybody who loves to sing and who’d like to hear more about the benefits singing can bring to all parts of the community.
Singalong with Bernard Carney
He’ll also be leading one of his famed ‘sing-a-long’ concerts on the Sunday afternoon which is sure to be fantastic fun.
Annie Robinson STAT AUSTAT AMusA has been teaching the Alexander Technique and singing in Perth for the last 15 years. She has taught at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, Murdoch University, the Australian Opera Studio and the University of WA Extension program. She has also run classes for young dancers at the Graduate College of Dance, and for theatre students at Total Theatre.
Annie is interested in the specific application of the Alexander Technique to the use of the voice, as well as its general application in performing, playing music, and public speaking. She has taught many musicians who use the Alexander Technique in their professional lives. She also works with school teachers with chronic laryngitis, people who can't sing in tune, singers who want to improve their singing and young people just starting out on a career.
Annie currently teaches singing and conducts choral ensembles in Secondary schools, as well as teaching singing and Alexander Technique in private practice and as a consultant. For the last 10 years she has been the Musical Director of the Fremantle Women’s Choir.
Alexander Technique and The Art of Breathing
This workshop will introduce participants to the Alexander Technique through its application to singing, with particular emphasis on the role of the breath. Alexander’s discoveries about human functioning are of a broader and deeper nature than the commonly held associations of the Technique with ‘posture’; the Technique usefully challenges many assumptions about learning, breathing and the nature of habit.
Christine Morrison is a unique Musician, Sound Healer, Composer and Teacher.
Her piano music and vocal sounds have been said to “Soothe the Soul”. Whatever your soul requires, her sounds and music reach it – in a gentle and compassionate way, allowing you to discover your inner talents and knowledge.
Christine was guided to work with sound, music and colour while she was recovering from an illness. It played a major part in her healing, taking her on a journey of self-discovery and an awakening of her soul, and also guiding her to realize her soul’s purpose. She decided to resign from her primary school teaching profession to share her knowledge of using and working with Sound, Music and Colour.
The music Christine composes connects with your Heart and your Soul, giving you peace, relaxation and calm. Her music is used for many purposes, such as for relaxation, grief, pregnancy and labour, passing over, pain relief, meditation, massage and bodywork, to calm children, and for the pure enjoyment of listening.
Throughout her journey, Christine has had connections and experiences with Aboriginal culture and spirituality. Her sounds and music connect you with the ancient ones and your ancient knowledge & wisdom deep within your Soul.
Christine travels interstate and overseas facilitating workshops, retreats and offering Soul Impression CD individual sessions where she composes music specifically for you. Her CD’s are also sold internationally.
“She has brought to Earth the sacred sounds from the Angelic realms of light. Every note feels as if it has been touched by the wings and the breath of Angels.”
Lorna May Todd. Author of “Working with Angels and Nature Spirits”
Infoconcert
Connect with your heart and soul as you allow your Soul sounds to emerge from deep within. Christine will guide you to open up and free your voice using sound and colour techniques, to allow the love to flow through you and for you to receive deep peace within.
Join in singing a few songs that warm the heart and nurture the soul.
» Click here to view the Final Programme
» and new Venue Location Map
2008 was another fruitful year with lots of successful events and very personally satisfying for me.
RhythmSong back in July was a rich experience with some wonderful teachers and facilitators and some just as wonderful participants.
Carl Pannuzzo and Penny Larkins were visiting tutors from Victoria. Carl was also part of the Denmark Festival of Voice and taught at the Big Trill in Albany. They shared their skills and bubbly energy and brought a wonderful heart to the event. Simon Nield described Carl as a ‘heart on legs’ and having such a person teaching again at RhythmSong was a great treat. Carl and Penny returned to WA for their honeymoon later in the year and we were treated to a beautiful concert with the help of the grand piano at Colin and David’s house.
Richie Glasgow, a true master of Brazilian percussion and an outstanding teacher, supplied the Samba rhythms and added zest and zap to the whole weekend.
Lara Norman was our youth facilitator and her workshops and her guiding but easy influence with the youth brigade was much appreciated. The plan to entice more young people along to RS was very successful. Thanks to CAN for the grant which was crucial.
Simon Nield, who sadly passed away in October, made a big effort to come to RhythmSong last year. Even though he was very unwell, he supported other people in their performances and performed his memorable Dragon song for us. He also donated some CDs to help finance a scholarship for 2009. We will miss Simon enormously this year but he’ll be remembered through a yearly scholarship in his name and always in our hearts.
An exciting and unique event in 2008 was the visit from the Mafumani High School group from Limpopo in South Africa. This was a joint project between Valanga and Andrea Khoza and The Boite in Melbourne. Perth was the first stop on their tour and it was a revelation for them and us I think. Amazing performers.
Tony Backhouse’s Gospel weekend was as usual totally uplifting and soul stirring. It’s been a pleasure to be involved with Tony for a number of years now. He’s recently returned to live in New Zealand but this won’t affect his touring, not at this stage anyway. He may not be back in 2009 but look out for him in 2010.
The second Springsong in Subi happened last October. We had great guest tutors in Fred Smith and Rachel Hore and we were introduced to the impressive skills of a fairly recent arrival in Perth from the UK, Chloe King. She’s already been snapped up as the Band of Angels new MD. She gives private voice lessons, works in theatre, and is certainly a wonderful addition to our community. Thanks also to Ryan Morrison whose original take on body percussion had everybody moving and grooving. Micheal McCarthy from WAAPA ran some outstanding voice workshops.
Another Springsong is planned for 2009, this year with the committee on board very early, and hopefully with lots more volunteers. Should be something to look forward to.
The involvement of a revitalized Voice Moves association will I think be very helpful in making future Spring song weekends an ongoing success.
Thanks to everybody that helped or participated in these projects.
Tara and Bhavan have kindly uploaded their photos on Picasa.
You can view them by clicking on the links below.
» Click here to view Tara's photos
» Click here to view Bhavan's photos
18th to 21st June
Key tutors Kristina Olsen and Stephen Taberner.
Venue – Grass Roots Holiday Haven in Jarrahdale.
Click here for a brochure
Tara has kindly uploaded her photos on Picasa. You can view them by clicking on the link below.
Click here to view photos from RhythmSong 2009
Concert Saturday 21st March
3pm
Tickets: $10 / $8
St Paul’s Hall, 162 Hampton Rd, Beaconsfield
Tickets at door
Welcome to Spring Song
Community music festival in Subiaco
Friday 24 October
Oceania Event and Supper
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 October 2008
10 workshops and 5 concerts
featuring leading tutors
Rachel Hore (NSW) and Fred Smith (CANBERRA)
Click here to download the program
or here to download the A4 poster
or here for a map of the venues
Spring Song is a music festival aimed at giving community singers a chance to perform and also to participate in quality workshops at the least possible cost. We are a not for profit entity and any profits from the festival will go towards seeding next year's event. Note that all members of choirs will be offered discount weekend or day tickets if they pay before the 1st October. The festival can only succeed with the support of choirs and the singing community so we hope you can embrace this unique concept. This year's festival will have an Islander theme, drawing on the rich musical heritage of places such as Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and of course Australia.
There will be an opening event on Friday 24th (ticketed separately) and the rest of the weekend will be structured around daytime workshops, afternoon and evening concerts. There’ll also be a café for catching up with friends and an intimate venue for budding songwriters and smaller acts. There’ll be a fascinating array of workshops on offer as well as loads of entertainment.
Our tutors this year are - Rachel Hore, Fred Smith, Micheál McCarthy, Ryan Morrison and Chloe King.
Click here to Download the Program for Spring Song in Subi.
Click here to Download the Map for Spring Song in Subi.
Rachel Hore is a singer, choral leader, songwriter and percussionist who’s been performing and teaching throughout Australia for the past twenty years. Rachel is a valued visitor to WA where she has tutored 3 times at RhythmSong and has been a guest artist and teacher at the Denmark Festival of Voice She is in demand as a mentor for choirs and famed for her warm and inspirational, yet highly professional style of teaching.
Rachel has conducted large choral events, including the 500 voice Woodford Festival ‘Fire Choir’ and the Melbourne Millenium Chorus. She’s also taught at residential singing workshops in Italy and Fiji.
She runs music workshops in remote communities for young aboriginal women and directs two choirs in the Blue Mountains, Voiceworks and ROC. She is also a highly creative writer and arranger of songs.
Over the last 10 years Fred Smith has emerged as one of Australia’s most remarkable artists. He is a lyrical and inventive lyricist, with an ear for a melodic hook. He has a perceptive eye for modern life, its foibles and joys, and an ability to express this in song. Fred presents his material with an engaging humour and a wry smile that has won hearts at festivals in Australia and North America. He is the subject of the film Bougainville Sky about his work on peace keeping operations in the war-torn islands of the South Pacific where his work as a musician and radio broadcaster contributed to the success of the world’s first ever unarmed peace keeping force. He has recently returned from three years touring on the North American circuit with a bag of songs and stories to tell.
Warwick McFadyen, Texas review (The Age 4th May 2008) “Fred Smith is one of this country's most literate, humorous, intelligent and empathic songwriters..."
Micheál graduated from University College Cork, Ireland with a Bachelor of Music (Hons) and Higher Diploma in Education (Hons) in 1986. He pursued his postgraduate studies at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Hungary, where he studied under world renowned conductor and pedagogue, Péter Erdei. He graduated in 1988 with the Advanced Diploma of the Kodály Institute, the Institute’s highest award.
Since 1990 Micheál has held lecturing positions at the Canberra School of Music, the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where he is currently lecturer in Aural Training, Harmony, and Choral Conducting.
He is also the director of Eneskis Vocal Ensemble, a choir which has quickly gained a reputation as one of the finest choirs in Australia. Micheál is also founding director of Cottage School of Music, a school which provides specialist musicianship and choral training for children aged 2-18. He is also director of the Cottage Children's Choir.
Ryan Morrison is a naturally talented musician and artist. Growing up in the northern suburbs of Perth, music has always been a part of his life. Over the past six years Ryan has been involved in singing with various a cappella groups including Summerhouse and the Spooky Men's Chorale. Ryan also directed the Spooky Men of the West for two years and has been a guest director for various choirs around Perth. Emerging now as a singer, songwriter, choir director, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, Ryan is developing his own style, pushing and stretching the musical and rhythmic boundaries.
Upon embarking on his world travels in search of inspiration, Ryan got as far as Melbourne, where he fell in love with the city and is currently living and working as a musician and freelance designer. It is here Ryan has plenty of time to explore the possibilities he has always yearned for.
Utilising his urge to constantly tap a beat, throwing in some ‘stomps of fury’, and singing over the top of it all, something kinda funky happens. Ryan is delighted to be returning to Perth to share his most recent ideas and discoveries on Body Rhythms.
Chloe King is a singer and actress from the UK with 20 years experience in the performing arts, from performing as a vocalist and actress in music theatre, cabaret and theatre productions, to touring with the award winning a cappella group Naked Voices. Her style is inspiring and nurturing, whether teaching singing and voice work for individuals, directing community choirs, running ‘Singing for the Terrified’, or leading harmony singing workshops for kids, teens and adults.
An exciting first year in Perth has involved setting up a private teaching studio, running singing workshops, presenting professional development days for primary music teachers as well as performing with Perth Playback Theatre, and acting in two plays, a short film and a musical. Chloe is really looking forward to teaching at Spring Song.
Click here to Download the Program for Spring Song in Subi.
Click here to Download the Map for Spring Song in Subi.
When the Soweto Gospel choir sang in Fiji this year on their World Tour they were in for a wonderful surprise. It is usual for the Gospel choir to get standing ovations, but when the whole audience in Suva stood up and sang back to them in luscious 4 part harmony as if they had been practising for weeks, the Gospel choir on stage were overcome and tearful.
In Fiji everybody seems to sing, and there is a choir in every village.
Rachel has been taking singing tours to Fiji for the last few years, singing with local village choirs and learning songs to pass on. Come and have a taste of this wonderful music.
Men most welcome (in fact, an integral part of this island sound)
Learn songs, clapping games and movement from our closest island neighbours, Torres Strait, Samoa and New Zealand. Learn the Sasa, a Samoan way of learning rhythm that is as exciting to try whether you are six or sixty. Sing childrens songs and hymns in beautiful island harmony.
Learn songs from Australian songwriters and composers that have been written or arranged for choirs. From Neil Murray, to WA's own Craig Sinclair, to Yugumbeh elder Dianne Watson and workshop leader Rachel Hore. Rachel is passionate about growing home made music and building up our own choral culture.
Sing up our country, and sing up our songs.
Let Fred Smith take you on a hilarious crash course in Papua New Guinea Pidgin teaching the basics of the language by singalong songs from the region. It’s a vocal workshop and language lesson all in one! Come and sing your way into the heart of this fascinating culture, and learn enough of the language to get you in and out of trouble on the streets of Rabaul. Fred hosted a weekly pidgin language radio program “Satedi Nait Pati” on Radio Bougainville is the subject of the documentary film about his work promoting peace through music on the war torn islands.
Fred Smith and band will lead attendees through a workshop designed to help you get in touch with your inner Bavarian. The methodology involves vigorous sing-alongs to a selection of his less thoughtful material - dirges, polkas and urban sea shanties.
Micheál will focus on the fundamental nature of singing in the choral context. The session will concentrate on movement, use of the body, sound production, listening, warm-ups, aural awareness, intonation, note-learning skills, reading skills and on fundamental ensemble development.
This workshop will build on the fundamental aspects of choral singing, progressing to more advanced ensemble development. A feature of this workshop will be the nature of the warm-up, how it can be used to engender high-quality choral singing. In addition, the session will deal with issues such as the use of the body, aural / visual interaction, quality listening, more advanced sight reading and issues related to performance.
Join Ryan to explore how different parts of the human body can be used to create unique and interesting percussive sounds.
Learn how to make the most of claps and slaps, clicks and flicks, stomps and grunts, (with the occasional rest), all in good time.
Chloe will be running a performance masterclass for small groups.
Come and workshop a song you perform / would like to be performing - or learn as you watch others raise their game through this workshop experience. Watching other singers working is a fantastically valuable way to absorb new ideas. Drawing from Chloe's extensive performance experience as a vocalist and actor, this friendly and supportive 'masterclass' will focus mainly on stage presentation, connecting with the audience, and communicating the emotional journey of your song.
Your group will need to have learnt your song to a performance or near-performance standard. Places for this workshop will go fast, and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Chloe will require a copy of the lyrics in advance. A recording of the song would also be useful but is not essential.
Click here to Download the Program for Spring Song in Subi.
Click here to Download the Map for Spring Song in Subi.
Click here to download the Choir Registration Form or here to download the Public Registration Form.
Alternatively contact Matthew Clements on 08 9339 7333 or clementsm@bigpond.com for further details.
Get your Choir Registration Form in by September 22th. If you wish to attend but your choir is not performing, you can still access performer prices via the Choir Registration Form.
| Ticket prices |
Performers |
Public |
| Season Ticket |
$85 |
$110 / $95 |
| Day Ticket |
$55 |
$70 / $60 |
| Single Workshop |
$30 / $25 ea |
$30 / $25 ea |
| Afternoon Concerts |
$10 ea |
$10.00 ea |
| Evening Concerts |
$20 / 15 ea |
$20 / 15 ea |
Friday Night Event
(not included in season pass) |
$45 |
$45 |
| |
Download Registration Form |
Download Registration Form |
Click here to Download the Program for Spring Song in Subi.
Click here to Download the Map for Spring Song in Subi.
Singing with Soul
Inspirational a cappella workshop
in Black Gospel
and related styles.
19th to 21st September, 2008
Tony Backhouse is a singer, composer, vocal arranger and teacher who’s been running vocal workshops in New Zealand and Australia since 1988. He’s made several trips to the USA to extend his knowledge and deepen his experience of African-American Gospel traditions and regularly leads Gospel tours to the States.
Tony has been visiting WA since the early nineties and has inspired a community of people here who sing many of the songs he’s introduced. He’s a remarkably generous and open-hearted teacher who manages to ignite others with his passion and soulfulness and creates a safe space to experiment, improvise, find your voice and connect with other people.
The workshop is for beginners and experienced singers alike and the emphasis is on fun, harmony, collective improvisation and freedom of expression. Participants can record the sessions. No special skill or experience is required. People are welcome to come for the introductory session, just one day or the whole weekend.
North Fremantle Community Hall, 2 Thompson Rd, North Fremantle.
Friday 19th September 7pm - 9pm $25 / $20
Introductory evening.
Learn some Gospel songs and listen to Tony talking about the Afro-American Gospel tradition.
Saturday 20th September 10am – 3pm $85 / $75
Suitable for all.
Sunday 21st September 9.30am – 2.30pm $85 / $75
Suitable for those who’ve come to the Saturday workshop and experienced singers.
Weekend ticket $160 / $140
To secure a place please send cheque or money order with contact details to
Gyan Godfrey, 5/340 High St., Fremantle 6160
or contact me re direct deposit.
Concession prices available for pensioners / students / health card holders.
You will need to show your card at the workshop.
Cheques payable to Tony Backhouse.
Gyan Godfrey... 9335 7054 or 0415 995 121
Email gya42@yahoo.com
25th July
at Subiaco Church of Christ,
260 Bagot Road, Subiaco
Just one chance to see them in WA!
Valanga Khoza, Andrea Watson and The Boite in Melbourne have combined forces to bring this wonderful young group to Australia. It is their first tour overseas and they'll be featuring in The Melbourne Millenium Chorus and The School's Chorus in Melbourne.
They'll be performing just once in WA and will be supported by the resonant vocals and outstanding musicianship of Valanga who's coming over from Melbourne to welcome the choir to Australia and to open the concert.
The choir are bringing their own dancer and drummer so it's sure to be a lively and colourful performance.
All money raised from the concert will be used to help with the groups costs in their first tour outside South Africa.
This will be a family friendly affair and children are welcome.
Tickets - $20, $18 (conc.), $10 (18 and under), children 12 and under free
Family ticket price $45
3 - 6 July 2008
Join us for RhythmSong, a fabulous three days of
singing and music making at Camp Simons in Roleystone.
CLICK HERE FOR A REGISTRATION FORM
RhythmSong is a residential 3 day singing and music retreat involving people of all ages and of different musical backgrounds and experiences. You are welcome to come as a complete novice or as someone with a background in music.
We invite quality interstate and local tutors to share their skills and their passion for singing and music. It’s an opportunity to learn and experiment and also meet and interact with a wide range of music loving people in a completely supportive environment.
Our tutors this year are- the outrageously talented and creative Carl Pannuzzo (Victoria), WAAPA trained songbird Penny Larkins (Victoria), the singing violinist Lara Norman (WA) and the master of Brazilian rhythms in Perth Richy Glasgow (WA).
Camp Simons is a beautifully situated residential facility on the banks of the Canning river and is a popular venue for music camps of all types. Close to the city with comfortable amenities, surrounded by nature…….it’s the ideal place for this type of event.
Accommodation is provided in small dorms which are basic but comfortable, and all meals are provided. The main communal area is a lovely accoustic space and ideal for singing and performance.There is a separate dining area.
RhythmSong will begin at 3pm on Thursday 3 rd July and finish at 3pm on Sunday 6 th July. There’ll be workshop choices throughout the day with more than enough variety to satisfy all tastes and there’s always the choice to opt out if you need to have a break. Evenings are for lighter fun activities, including games, a concert, a surprise communal activity and the inevitable jams, soirees and eruptions of music and madness.
A major theme this year is performance and performance skills. Of course singing will again be an integral part of RhythmSong and we’re also including some workshops particularly directed towards younger people’s interests. Lara Norman will be the guiding voice here. Though focused towards younger people they will be open to everybody, including the particularly energetic and the young at heart.
- Performance Skills
- Vocal Health
- Brazilian songs and rhythms
- Singing, the resonant voice
- Improvisation.
- Instant songwriting
-and there will be more, including workshops offered by participants as options. We’ve already had offers for workshops in slide guitar, drumming and marimba.
Carl Pannuzzo is a predominantly self-taught multi-instrumentalist (voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, tuned percussion, harp and has just recently added ukelele) with over 15 years teaching, songwriting and performance experience.
He’s a prolific songwriter and musician but has also been extremely active as a teacher and workshop facilitator. In January he taught songwriting and ukelele at Summersong Music Camp in Northern New South Wales and was the composer and director for the Fire Choir at Woodford Folk Festival. He’s also taught and performed extensively in Europe, basing himself in Vienna for part of each year between 2002 and 2007. In 2007 he was invited to facilitate ’21 Musics’ a song-writing and Inter-cultural exchange for young people from around Europe for the International Day of Peace.
He has performed extensively in Australasia and internationally both as a solo artist and with numerous musical groups. To mention a few of these... vocal trio Acapelicans (singer, songwriter, arranger), folk dance band Totally Gourdgeous (singer/percussionist), roots-based improvisation band, Checkerboard Lounge.
Carl tutored for us at RhythmSong in 2006 and brought spark and sensitivity to everything he did. He’s gifted with huge creativity but also cares about encouraging others to develop their own confidence and freedom of expression. He’ll be the key tutor for the singing program at RhythmSong this year as well as facilitating workshops in voice resonance and improvisation.
Penny is a graduate from WAAPA’s Musical Theatre course and widely experienced in many areas of performance. She has facilitated both drama and singing workshops in Australia and Europe (2003 – 2007) and was the assistant choir director at the Woodford Folk Festival in 2007/2008. She’s had wide experience in teaching music and drama to both children and adults and has worked in theatre (understudy for Jill Perryman in Boy from Oz!), with disabled youth and runs private workshops and classes. She was the artistic director for Odd Sock Youth Productions Inc. and has been involved through performance, songwriting and coordination with a number of groups including Salvation Jane, Aimless and Communal Bathing. Carl Pannuzzo has co-facilitated with Penny in the past and says….
“She seems to have an inexhaustible imagination….and is sensitive enough to know how to lead and delegate effectively when necessary…she brings a faultless timing, ear and expressiveness to a wide range of theatre pieces and music.”
Penny’s key areas of teaching at RhythmSong will be performance skills and vocal health.
Lara is a singer, violinist and songwriter, based in Fremantle. She performs regularly in a blues/folk duo with Craig Sinclair, playing violin, singing harmonies and also singing her own songs. They recently performed at Fairbridge and will be playing at The Denmark Festival of Voice in June.
Lara has a background in violin and classical voice and has taught violin to young people. She has sung with a number of vocal groups including a barbershop quartet, Summerhouse ensemble and a madrigal singing group as well as conducting a 150 group choir while a student at Methodist Ladies College. She was also leader of their College String Orchestra.
She has strong improvisation and percussion skills and a love of improvising lyrics and violin over music. Lara has participated in several songwriting groups and is a fresh and original voice in the local songwriting scene. Her background in re-evaluation counselling and her highly developed interpersonal skills, along with her youth and talent, make her an ideal person to be coordinating and teaching youth workshops at RhythmSong in 2008.
She’ll also be offering some not too early morning yoga classes.
Richy is a percussionist, musician and teacher with a passion for Brazilian music and rhythms. Between 2002 and 2005 he was the musical director for the famed Sambanistas, the original street percussion group in WA and has been involved with numerous community music projects. For the Festival of Perth he directed ‘Indian Ocean Water Drumming’, a huge project that involved 500 drummers of different ages and he also created a Brazilian style Bateria for the Joondalup Festival involving 150 people. During this period he was also Artist in Residence at Newman, establishing Marra Mamba Samba.
In 2005/2006 Richy received an Australian Council Fellowship to study street percussion in Brazil and its use in community groups.
He is very skilled at working with groups, small and large, young and old, and loves the energy and musicality of Brazilian music.
At RhythmSong he’ll be teaching Brazilian songs and rhythms and adding his lively energy and enthusiasm to the program.
Full price - $350
Early Bird price - $335
Concessions (Health Card, Students) - $335
Early Bird Concession - $320
* Note: Early bird bookings need to be booked and paid for by 5th June.
- Six full youth scholarships
- Two half youth scholarships ($160)
- Special price for 21 and under ($200).
* Ring or email Gyan if you are interested in one of these scholarships which we can offer because of a grant from Community Arts WA and some generous donations from individuals.
Gyan Godfrey, (addressee of cheque)
Unit 5 /340 High St, Fremantle, WA 6160
or contact Gyan re. direct deposit.
Telephone : 08 9335 7054 or Mobile: 0415 995 121
via Email : gya42@yahoo.com
Final payment due 26th June, 2008.
Written requests for a full refund can be made up to 23rd June.
Cancellations after this date will incur a 40% fee.
CLICK HERE FOR A REGISTRATION FORM
Welcome to our inaugural SPRING SONG
Please come and enjoy the great harmonies!
2nd - 4th November 2007
featuring leading tutors
Joseph Jordania and Greg Sheehan
plus
Nine exciting workshops
Afternoon community concerts
Georgian Banquet on Friday night
Feature concerts on Saturday and Sunday night
Click here to download the program
or here to download the A4 flyer
Spring Song is a music festival aimed at giving community singers a chance to perform and also to participate in quality workshops at the least possible cost. We are a not for profit entity and any profits from the festival will go towards seeding next year's event. Note that all members of community choirs will be offered discount tickets to the whole weekend whether your choir is able to perform or not. The festival can only succeed with the support of choirs and the singing community so we hope you can embrace this unique concept.
This year's festival will have a "Georgian" theme, kicking off with a Georgian banquet on the Friday night hosted by our guest tutor and noted musicologist Joseph Jordania. The banquet is an important part of Georgian culture based upon toasting, singing and feasting. Should be an outstanding night.
On Saturday and Sunday, between 9.30am and 3.00pm, there will be nine workshops. Each Festival goer will have the opportunity to participate in up to six workshops...... an exciting array of learning possibilities available here. The tutors - Joseph Jordania, Greg Sheehan, Michael McCarthy, Iris, Psallite and Ryan Morrison.
(Click here or scroll down for more detail on tutors and a brief description of workshops being offered.)
As well... there'll be Saturday and Sunday afternoon concerts featuring a rich variety of Perth's community choirs. The evening concerts will showcase some of Perth's leading choirs as well as guest performances from tutors.
A café with tea and coffee facilities will be available during the festival at the Church of Christ Festival Centre (except for Sunday morning) to give festival goers a chance to relax, catch up with old friends and make new ones.
Click here to download the Program for Spring Song in Subi.
Click here to download the Choir Registration Form or here to download the Public Registration Form.
Alternatively contact Matthew Clements on 08 9339 7333 or clementsm@bigpond.com for further details.
Get your Choir Registration Form in by September 28th. If you wish to attend but your choir is not performing, you can still access performer prices via the Choir Registration Form.
Click here to download the Program
Click here to download the A4 Flyer for the concerts
Australia's Georgian singing expert. Joseph gives engaging workshops using wonderful Georgian style harmonies and infuses participants with a sense of the history of Georgia.
More on Joseph Jordania...
Greg is famous for the style of body percussion he has developed. An innovative rhythm specialist, he'll be teaching body percussion at 2 levels as well as a simple but fun percussion workshop suitable for all.
More on Greg Sheehan...
Micheal is the director of Choral Studies at WAAPA. He is an intense teacher and singers wishing to improve their choral techniques will hang on every word. Includes advanced session for serious singers.
"Instant Choir with Iris". A quintet of fabulous women - their workshop will involve learning songs, singing together as a group and experimenting with percussion and movement. Suitable for all levels.
These Medieval mad persons introduce their ancient and often hilarious brand of music. This will be a fun workshop suitable for all levels.
Bernard will conduct one of his famous Beatles sing-along sessions. Always a big hit at all festivals. Joseph is also a Beatles aficionado. Beatles plus Georgian harmonies!!!!!
More on Bernard Carney...
Ryan is the director of the Spooky Men of the West and will look at new ways of using your voice for vocal rhythmic percussion in his workshop.
Click here to download the Spring Song in Subi Flyer
Click here to download the Program
Click here to download the A4 Flyer for the concerts
Greg Sheehan lives in Byron Bay and plays with many different groups who perform all over Australia. These include 'Circle of Rhythm' featuring Greg on percussion and tambourine, Ben Walsh on kit drums, bansuri and other world percussion and Bobby Singh on Indian Tabla. He also plays in 'Coolangubra' with Cleis Pearce on violin and viola and Steve Berry on guitar. They are an outstanding and creative acoustic trio based in Byron Bay. Greg is also a key member of five piece percussion group 'Skin' who've built a reputation as one of the best percussion groups in Australia. A recent highlight for them was a duet with acclaimed cartoonist Michael Leunig.
Recent performances include Bangalow Jazz and Rhythm Fiesta, FINA Arts Festival Melbourne (Circle of Rhythm), Adelaide Arts Centre (Circle of Rhythm) and Live Earth Concert in Queensland (Greg solo).
Greg came to RhythmSong music camp in 2003 to teach his body percussion workshops and was an exciting and creative presence at that camp.
Follow this link to his website to find out more about his music, CDs, performances and current projects.
Joseph Jordania is originally from Georgia. He's been living in Melbourne since 1995 and is a highly respected ethnomusicologist, musical director, singer and teacher, with a background steeped in the traditions of Georgian music. He directs and sings in two groups in Melbourne, the Georgian trio 'Golden Fleece', and Georgian-Bulgarian male ensemble 'Gorani' who sing Georgian polyphonic and medieval church songs. Both of these groups have performed widely at festivals across Australia and have performed on radio and TV. 'Gorani' has also performed in Georgia and Bulgaria, and 'Golden Fleece' has performed in USA. We in WA first heard the strains of Georgian music when Joseph taught some workshops in Fremantle and out of those workshops grew the group Lile who became an instant choir singing at the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
Joseph also teaches internationally and will be running Georgian singing workshops in the UK this October.
Joseph regularly returns to Georgia and is highly respected there as an ethnomusicologist. He makes an important contribution to the Australian music scene when he shares so generously this beautiful and highly developed polyphonic musical tradition.
Joseph will be the toastmaster (tamada) at our banquet on Friday 2nd November, and will be teaching two workshop in Georgian singing over the Spring Song weekend.
The folk music of Georgia has a very long and vibrant history. As early as 714BC an Assyrian ruler described how the workers of a Georgian tribe accompanied their harvest tasks with cheerful songs - and it was reported by Greek historian Xenophon (401BC) that another tribe, the Mosinik used to sing before going into battle. “The warriors stood in rows like a choir... then one of them began and all the others joined in. Currently many of their songs start in this way, with an opening call, an invitation to sing.” Historically it's often noted that Georgian songs are intricately linked with social activity. There are a huge variety of work songs (milking, spinning, hauling etc...) travelling songs performed on horseback, lullabies, wedding songs, dance songs and table songs. Many of the songs, though not now related to their original functions, are revived at the Georgian supra, a traditional Georgian feast of eating, drinking, ritual toasting and singing. One of the interesting features of Georgian singing is that though there are many differences in regional styles from different areas of Georgia, polyphony is the common thread that runs through them all.
Unison singing of a melody is rare in Georgia. It seems that the function of melody as we know it is not as clear in Georgian music, the interest and appeal of the song arises more from the harmony between the three parts. There are apparently two major groups of songs in Georgian singing, East Georgian and West Georgian (though there are many more variations in style - Joseph points to 15 different musical dialects all with different features and polyphony). The East Georgian song has two solo upper parts and a lower part with flexible drone tones and West Georgian songs are characterised by a pronounced polyphony that often has a complex melodic structure that disregards harmonic consonance.
Joseph is a living embodiment of the history of this music. He sings in the Georgian music trio 'Golden Fleece' in Melbourne and directs the male a cappella ensemble 'Gorani' who sing Georgian polyphonic and medieval church songs. Both 'Golden Fleece' and 'Gorani' have performed widely at festivals across Australia - and 'Gorani' have performed on radio and TV in Australia and Georgia.
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