Hallelujah Chorus with a difference

Anne Thomson's daughter alerted her to this clip on YouTube. Anne suggests we should try this as an alternative to singing it off by heart at this year's performance. Enjoy!

My life back to Malaysia

Hi everyone,

How's everyone doing?must be busy rehearsing for the coming concert?
I am sorry that i had no chance to say good bye to you all as i had decided to return to malaysia suddenly in April. Anyway, I have settled down and found a job here.
After i came back to Malaysia,i have been immediately joining a choir here which i have joined 2 years ago. It's wonderful for me to have opportunity to sing in choir again.
Currently we are preparing to present Bach's Mass in B Minor on coming 18th of July.
This is a wonderful piece and sure it's quite difficult as well.
I have made a video to promote this event,will like to share with all of u here.

Hope you enjoy this video!



or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByfJlONzn08

Best Regards from Malaysia,

Leslie

Snow Day!

We're snowed in, and if you haven't heard, City Choir is cancelled tonight. Whatever shall I do with all my spare time?

Well, I could build another snowperson. The first one didn't look too good:



But then, I am an Aussie, so concessions must be made. I'm not used to all this white cold stuff that falls from the sky. Cooking eggs on the footpath - now that I'm an expert at!

Or I could just enjoy the scenery out the window.



I see scenes like this, and imagine Father Christmas (he is NOT "Santa Claus" in MY family, thankyou very much!) to come shooting over the top of Stone Street in his sleigh.

Or to at least cruise along Kaikorai Valley Road in a beat-up combi van with snow chains.



On a more serious note, yes, City Choir is cancelled tonight. Yes, we have a rehearsal on Saturday morning instead, as I've just been informed by email. 10:00 to 12:30. Hmmm...that time slot is starting to feel a bit familiar!

So tonight, I shall grab my copy of Handel and go over "My Heart Is Inditing" for a couple of hours until I nail every last note!



Actually, I'll enjoy some of the gorgeous-smelling homemade shortbread I just baked, play a game or two of Up And Down The Creek Without A Paddle, and have a hot bath with lots of bubbles. Then maybe do a bit of rehearsing if I feel like it.

But if I told you I'm spending all evening rehearsing you wouldn't believe me.

Would you?

Keyboard Cat takes on the beauty queen

Recently, we were treated at this blog to a little musical refinement (very little!) in the form of a cat playing the piano.

Here's a bit more random musical silliness.

So take it away, Keyboard Cat!

News from Stephen

Stephen Chambers, the tenor for Anniversary Accolades (4th & 5th July) has been recently awarded the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) International Scholar for the RSAMD (Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) in Glasgow, where he will commence further studies in September. He tells me there will be a story in the ODT, but you read it first here!

Claire at rehearsal

We were delighted to have Claire visit and sing along with the altos on Tuesday. If you don't know yet, Claire will be singing the solo mezzo role in our Anniversary Accolades concert on 4 and 5 July (St Paul's Cathedral).

Claire told me before she left that the Choir is sounding really great!

Here is more about Claire:

Claire Barton is a mezzo soprano born and bred in Dunedin. She has recently completed her Masters of Music in Performance Voice with Isabel Cunningham and Prof. Terence Dennis at the University of Otago. She also has two undergraduate degrees, graduating in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons, 1st class) in English and History and in May 2007 with a MusB (Hons, 1st class) in performance voice. She is a past recipient of the Colin McDonald Memorial Prize (2004), the Muriel Herbert Prize, and the Simon Gibson Memorial Prize (2006) from the Music Department of Otago University and in 2008 received a Postgraduate Award from the University of Otago to continue her performance studies at Masters Level. She was the Dunedin Returned Services Association Vocal Scholar 2004-2006.

In 2006 Claire made her operatic debut with the Dunedin Opera Company, singing the role of Mrs Slender in Salieri's Falstaff. Later in the year, she understudied the title role of Bizet's Carmen in Otago University's professional production.

2007 was a highly successful year for Claire. She won the NZ Opera Society Scholarship at the New Zealand Singing School in Napier in January, was a finalist in the Lexus Song Quest in April, sang the role of Katisha in The Mikado for the Really Authentic Gilbert and Sullivan Company in Dunedin in June, and in the space of six weeks in August and September, won the Sealord Aria Contest in Nelson, the Wellington Regional Aria and the Otago Daily Times Aria in her hometown. In November she placed second in the prestigious New Zealand Aria Contest (formerly known as the Lockwood Aria) in Rotorua.

In 2008 she attended the Wanganui Opera School in January. Engagements during the year included Opera on Mokoia Island in Rotorua; Schubert's Mass in A flat major with the City of Dunedin Choir and the Dunedin Youth Orchestra; singing the national anthem of South Africa before a rugby test at Carisbrook; a performance with the St. Kilda Brass Band and performing the role of Mad Margaret in a season of Ruddygore for the Really Authentic Gilbert and Sullivan Performance Trust.

Claire also works as a student library assistant at the University of Otago Medical Library, is a consummate cat-lover, and enjoys writing, visiting museums and attending the ballet.

Contemporary piano

Contemporary piano performance by Felix.