Choralation

Despite the loss of our hall, the Somerset Youth Choir's first concert has gone over without a hitch. Performed at the Anglican Church Hall in the main street of Esk, the Sunday afternoon concert was performed to proud parents and a supportive community with standing room only with 10mins until the start!

Guest choirs at this performance included:
Esk Community Choir
Esk Primary Choir
Toogoolawah Primary
Toogoolawah High School

For soloists and duets we had:
Patrina Mcleod
Jessica Pitman
Carmel & Graham Lynch

A definite highlight of the day was the big finale - when all the choirs came together to give a demonstration of the versatility of Rounds. Thunderous applause signaled the end of a fantastic performance. Well done Somerset Youth Choir!

Lyceum Hall - GONE.

The Lyceum burnt down in 20 minutes on the night of 07/05/10.

Originally constructed in 1909, The Lyceum has been central to the Esk Community. It has been home to the not only our own Esk Community Choir and the new Somerset Youth Choir but the meeting place of our community for over 100 years. The once beautiful historic hall has functioned as an event location, a library, wedding reception venue, graduation hall, the local School of Arts, dance hall and movie theatre and has witnessed countless performances and workshops from people from all over the state.

30 years of choir history burnt down that night. All our music, instruments, props, costumes, backdrops and memories. Our home is gone.






Now rehearsing at the Anglican Church hall and the Esk Primary school respectively, both the Esk and Somerset Choirs continue their strive to enjoy and share their music with the community. The Somerset Choir had their planned performance in the Church hall instead, while the Esk Community Choir will having their's in the Alexandra Hall in Toogoolawah, 15mins down the road.

We've had a lot of support from the community, and in time we will build up our stores and have a new home. But for now we continue our service in song while mourning our beautiful home.
By Jessica Pittman

Cruisin' Calypso (2009)

In September of 2009 the E.C.C. presented their latest "strictly for adults" theatre restaurant 'Cruisin' Calypso'.

Michelle, Jo, Kathie
"Drinkin' Rum & and Coca Cola"

From the moment audience members stepped into the Lyceum Hall they found themselves being swept along with the swell of the SS Indulgence. Audience members were greeted at the door by island girls, who immediately put everyone in a Caribbean frame of mind. Rather than enter in the traditional way everyone walked the gangplank, where the ship's pretty mates welcomed us aboard with a flower lei and glass of champagne. The hall was decorated with palms and banana leaves, and the colour scheme of black, yellow and green reflected the flag of the country we were destined for - Jamaica.

The story following a group of passengers who set out on a Caribbean cruise which offers them much more than they bargained for, as they travelled through the Bermuda Triangle things went from strange to stranger as they encountered some very odd characters.

Audience favourites were definitely Elvis (played by Lloyd King in a number of fantastic outfits - made by his wife, Carolyn), and the hilarious "Bowls Ladies" (Patrina McLeod, Carmel Lynch and Marina Crichton). Prizes were awarded for the best dressed audience member - it was very pleasing to see so many passengers dressed for the part. A smoking volcano had centre stage in Act 2 and cast members had to appease the Great God Burpo with a sacrificial virgin - easier said than done! The appearance of four Zombies had the audience members in stitches and it was great to see some good sports join them up on stage to do the Limbo.

The show ended with Elvis singing up a storm and the whole cast joining the audience for a congo line through the tables.

Many passengers were reluctant to come to the end of their cruise and compliments were flying - the show was a great success. It was a lot of hard work, but everyone pulled their weight and it all came together. Our Musical Director and Producer, Alexis FitzGerald of course, did a wonderful job as did everyone else involved. Russell Zammet produced his masterpieces again and the volcano especially was a great hit, we are so lucky to have his artistic talents in our choir.

Michelle Rose

Sydney Opera House (June 2009)

This is a story about 15 ladies and 2 men from the Esk Community Choir who sang at the Sydney Opera House. It is not fiction, though the experience was the stuff dreams are made of.
The story began when Alexis received, via email, an invitation for the choir to sing Mozart's Requiem as part of the Festival of World Voices in 2009 at the Sydney Opera House. Seventeen choir members, unwilling to pull the shade down on this opportunity, answered the call.




Armed with the musical score, a couple of home grown tapes, purchased CD's and very little knowledge of what was to come, they dedicated spare moments during the following weeks and months to mastering this very challenging Requiem Mass in D Minor by Mozart.

The little that WAS known was that the Internationally high regarded American clinician, lecturer and Director of Choral Studies at Atlanta's Emory University, Dr Eric Nelson, was to be the conductor for the festival, travelling to Sydney to perform the work along with a number of choirs from the USA.

A great leader is said to be someone who takes genuine joy in the successes of those under him and from the moment Dr Nelson began the rehearsal with "OK, let's sing the Requiem: they knew they were in the presence of, not only a great leader and teacher, but also a musical genius and hearts soared along with their voices.

From the wandering tones of 'Intoitus' through the intricacies of 'Kyrie', the rhythmic vitality of 'Dies Irae', the mournful pulsing of 'Lacrimose', the fire passion and pathos of 'Rex Tremendae' and 'Confutatis' to the final dramatic notes of 'Lux Eterna', the ladies and gentlemen from Esk were born aloft on a sea of musical excellence. So too were the other choirs, anchored by the incomparable voices of the Centenary College Choir from Louisiana, and others from Georgia and Charleston as well as sixty 'angelic' boy sopranos, altos, tenors and basses from Sydney's Knox Grammar School who were called to the fray with only one months notice. The sum total of 160 voices filled and thrilled both the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House and an almost capacity audience.

True testament to the determination and dedication to practice by the Esk contingent were the comments and compliments expressed by more than a few members of the visiting choirs regarding the 'excellent preparation by this community choir'.

The story could not continue without the telling of the four highly credentialed soloists, highlighted by the amazing voice of Tim Chung, a countertenor, who sung alto, nor the accompaniment of a wonderful orchestra comprising young graduates from the Conservatorium alongside accomplished professional musicians.

This story does not have an ending because once there are no more words to tell, our music will continue to take over. People who make music together will always share that bond... for as long as the music lasts.

Sue Walker

Members who participated in Mozart's Requim

Elaine Brown

Joan Burke

Kym Clemence

Suzanne Clemence

Brian Crichton

Marina Crichton

Alexis FitzGerald

Mary FitzGerald

Maree Hammond

Dorothea Moyle

Noela Niemeyer

Jessica Pitman

Ellise Pope

Leon Toms

Sue Walker

Kathie Watts