Singing

Singing is something I have done since the year dot, and whilst I don't always get as much time to do so these days, I fit it in when I can. I am a member of the Astra Choir, which is a chamber group of 30-40 voices. The repertoire is an eclectic mix of the old (eg 16th century and earlier) and the new (eg recent works by Australian composers). John McCaughey is the conductor and artistic driving force; the concert programmes themselves are often a masterpiece of musical scholarship. You probably won't ever find us singing Handel or The Sound of Music, but it is never dull ...

When I get a chance, I also sing with the RMIT Choir. Faye Dumont is the conductor, and the choir meets weekly during semester times (typcially Tuesdays from 11.30-1.30 on the city campus). RMIT Students can study a variety of 12, 6 and 4 point courses by singing in this choir, whereas staff like me go along for the singing, fellowship and the concert series. If you want to know more, contact Faye Dumont (faye dot dumont at rmit dot edu dot au) or ask me when the next rehearsal is on the city campus.

A more recent development is the RMIT Midday Madrigal Singers, which is still settling on a name! Basically, Sandra Uitdenbogerd, Michael Winikoff and I decided after trying out a madrigal in an elevator one day that we should do this more often. We have since extended this to stairwells as well. Hence Tuesdays at midday in the stairwell on level 10 of building 10, and later in the nearby elevators, we madrigal nuts (the three of us plus Heidi Claus, Kenneth Legge and any passing singer we can catch) spend a few minutes singing away, for the sheer fun of it. The stairwell in building 10 is a long way architecturally from a Gothic cathedral, but it is much closer acoustically! Care to join us?

Sandra is also the founder and prime mover behind the RMIT Occasional Choral Society (ROCS).