Volume 23, June 2011 - New England Conservatorium of Music
Volume 23, June 2011 - New England Conservatorium of Music
Volume 23, June 2011 - New England Conservatorium of Music
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REPORT<br />
Cantilena<br />
Cantilena shone at the Armidale Eisteddfod again this year<br />
taking out 2nd place in the Unison Event and winning the<br />
overall trophy for the 2-part event. Although a young group<br />
this year, they have worked hard to develop their choral sound<br />
and to learn to follow and respond to a conductor. Cantilena<br />
chorale have also continued to be one <strong>of</strong> the premier primary<br />
choral groups in Armidale, winning their event with the quirky<br />
Hungarian song ‘The Handsome Butcher’ and the lilting ‘Skye<br />
Boat Song’. They are now developing their sight reading<br />
skills and learning to maintain a melodic line more securely.<br />
Congratulations to both <strong>of</strong> these groups.<br />
Rowena Tall<br />
NECoM Seniors Choir<br />
The NECOM Seniors Choir began at the beginning <strong>of</strong> Term 3,<br />
2010 under the baton <strong>of</strong> Wendy Huddleston and with Peter<br />
Maddox at the piano. The choir consists <strong>of</strong> a small group <strong>of</strong><br />
“retired” folk who enjoy their hour <strong>of</strong> singing once a fortnight.<br />
The attendance is “flexible” with an average <strong>of</strong> 12 to 15 keen<br />
singers each rehearsal.<br />
NEW <strong>England</strong> Singers<br />
Report<br />
<strong>New</strong> <strong>England</strong> Singers have had a<br />
fantastic start to the year. The choir<br />
has more than doubled in size and has<br />
become an SATB Choir (Soprano, Alto,<br />
Tenor and Bass). We are now able to<br />
cater for our increasing number <strong>of</strong> male<br />
singers as their voices change, this has<br />
added great depth to the choir. Our<br />
numbers also swelled from the large<br />
number <strong>of</strong> singers who graduated from<br />
Cantilena last year. These students have<br />
been a welcome addition to NE Singers<br />
and have had a great grounding in<br />
singing from their time with Rowena<br />
Tall. The kodaly program that forms the<br />
basis <strong>of</strong> the choral program from Minisingers<br />
through to NE Singers is really<br />
coming to the fore.<br />
Another exciting initiative has been<br />
the formation <strong>of</strong> a NE Singers Vocal<br />
Ensemble led by Hannah Grigg, a<br />
talented Year 11 student from PLC,<br />
Armidale. Hannah has been fine tuning<br />
her conducting skills with this new<br />
ensemble and had great success at the<br />
Armidale Eisteddfod gaining first place<br />
in the Open Vocal Ensemble section.<br />
We are pleased to announce that this<br />
ensemble will continue next term and<br />
12 NECOM NEWS JUNE <strong>2011</strong><br />
will be held at 5:15pm after the NE<br />
Singers rehearsal. We also worked with<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> small vocal ensembles this<br />
year, achieving a first and a third in the<br />
Small Vocal Ensemble section.<br />
This year we farewelled our wonderful<br />
accompanist Rebecca Simon when she<br />
moved to Canberra with her husband<br />
Daniel, they are expecting their first<br />
baby and we wish them all the best.<br />
We welcomed Euna Yom as our new<br />
accompanist just weeks out from the<br />
Armidale Eisteddfod. Euna moved to<br />
Armidale from Sydney where she trained<br />
at the Sydney <strong>Conservatorium</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Music</strong>,<br />
she has fitted right in and is a versatile<br />
and accomplished pianist.<br />
We had a busy program for the start<br />
<strong>of</strong> the year, especially as we rehearsed<br />
two choirs (<strong>of</strong>ten simultaneously) in<br />
preparation for the Eisteddfod. Thank<br />
you to Heather Pavel and Constance<br />
Rolfe who have been the NE Singers<br />
support crew and have organised<br />
<strong>Music</strong>, t-shirts, supervision and so the<br />
list goes on. Thank you also to NECOM<br />
and the Acting Director Corinne Arter<br />
for supporting the choral program, it is<br />
exciting to see students from Uralla and<br />
every high school in Armidale joining<br />
together to sing, especially as they sing<br />
so beautifully!<br />
Leanne Roobol, Director NE Singers<br />
Cantilena enjoying their afterschool rehearsal<br />
The choir presented a Service <strong>of</strong> Lessons and Carols in the<br />
Uniting Church last Christmas which was much appreciated<br />
by the singers and the congregation. The lessons were read<br />
by members <strong>of</strong> the choir. We were also privileged to enjoy the<br />
performance on the organ <strong>of</strong> 2 Bach Chorale Preludes played<br />
by Peter Maddox.<br />
The choir has continued into <strong>2011</strong> with Rebecca Simon at the<br />
piano during 1st term and Sue Metcalfe in 2nd term.<br />
Wendy Huddleston<br />
The new additions to NES – the wonderful<br />
tenors & basses.<br />
Leanne with Ensemble Stanthorpe who won<br />
the Open Small Vocal Ensemble at the recent<br />
Eisteddfod.<br />
Conductor Hannah Grigg, with NES Vocal<br />
Ensemble members Tom Henderson, Nicola<br />
Traise & Nick Kelly, displaying their winning<br />
trophies.