Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.
Brooke Window and Jessica Mills, sopranos
Kim Worley, tenor
Jeremy Tatchell, bass
The Fleurieu Singers
Alex Roose, conductor
14-piece orchestra
Haydn’s The Creation
What a great weekend it was, thank you to everybody who took part, and to everybody who came along to be in the audience.
Big Sing Chorus
Adelaide Philharmonia Chorus
Adelaide Concert Orchestra
Ruth Blythman, soprano
Robert Macfarlane, tenor
Pelham Andrews, bass
Graham Abbott, conductor
On Friday 2nd June 2023 we held our third annual Gala Fundraising Dinner at the restaurant of our wonderful patron, Andy Clappis: Our Place @ Willunga Hill.
Guests dressed up, the food was delicious, and the committee (with a few volunteers, and some members of the State Opera of South Australia) put on a very entertaining performance of the G&S operetta Trial By Jury.
Thank you to Renee Haskett for taking the photos.
We did it!
Big Sing Chorus took part in the final night of the recent State Opera of South Australia G&S Festival in a performance of The Sorcerer, with our own Music Director Greg John giving a magnificent performance of The Notary (Old Man).
Critics loved it:
“What a splendid way to finish the G&S Fest. State Opera SA have done it again – The Sorcerer is a hit! … Greg John is everyone’s doddery old notary, creating considerable humour in ‘Dear friends, take pity on my lot’…. and what a chorus, patiently sitting waiting for their turn to sing, dancing, sleeping and giving the chorus lines strength and power. I hope someone will continue this tradition, as the sound is incredibly satisfying particularly when Wellington Wells summons the sprites of earth and air in Act 1.” STAGE WHISPERS Barry Hill OAM
“The G&S Fest made the bold choice to have an open call for the chorus members of The Sorcerer. After months of work, the amateur choir is impressively rehearsed and articulate, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder across the stage and five rows deep.” GLAM ADELAIDE Nicola Woolford.
Congratulations to every member of Big Sing Chorus, it was fabulous, and thank you for your participation.
Photos Credit: ASB Creative Photography
For 2022, Big Sing presented The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins, conducted by Dr Carl Crossin OAM with the Big Sing Chorus joined by a core choir and orchestra made up of young musicians from two of Adelaide’s Special Interest Music Centres (Brighton and Marryatville High Schools) and the Elder Conservatorium.The addition of TheArmed Man Film (a first for an Australian performance), made for a powerful and moving experience for the capacity audience. The most common response was “Stunning!”. We also facilitated the core groups’ subsequent performances in the AdelaideTown Hall. One of the many highlights was the Moslem Call to Prayers by Farhan Shah (the “Pakistani Pavarotti”).
In 2021 Verdi’s monumental Requiem was finally staged on 19 September, at Tatachilla Lutheran College, McLaren Vale, in partnership with the Adelaide Youth Orchestra. Postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, it was a joy to hear the massed choir and orchestra led by Keith Crellin OAM. Core choirs—Adelaide Philharmonia Chorus and the Fleurieu Singers—were joined by soloists Teresa La Rocca, Emma Woehle, Mark Oates and Pelham Andrews and the Big Sing Chorus. For the first time we also partnered with AdYO’s presentation in the Adelaide Town Hall a week later, with a reduced size chorus due to spacing restrictions. Standing ovations all round!
In 2019 we presented Mendelssohn’s Elijah on 1 December, 2019, at Tatachilla Lutheran College, McLaren Vale, in conjunction with the Norwood Symphony Orchestra.
The massed choir and orchestra were led by Michael Milton, with soloists Jeremy Tatchell as Elijah with soprano Lisa Cannizzaro, contralto Riana Chakravarti and tenor Branko Lovrinov.
Read more about Mendelssohn and his oratorio, Elijah in this article by Linda Foulsham.
2019 Supporters
Opera Supporter: Bendigo Bank
Chorus Supporter: Villeré Coffee
Ensemble Supporters: The Best is Yet to Come Network; Willunga 100
Wine Sponsors: Coriole Winery, Hedonist Wines, Primo Estate Winery, Sabella Vineyards, Serafino Wines, Top Note & Vigna Bottin Wines
This is what choristers and audience had to say about Big Sing 2017 and 2018
“Congratulations on a thrilling, inspiring and most enjoyable Big Sing yesterday. I overheard many comments from people around me glowing in their praise of such a wonderful event in our local community.”
“What a wonderfully organised and well executed event! Thanks so much to you and your team for pulling off such a feat. I really enjoyed the whole show.”
“I want to thank you for such a wonderful experience and sing. I felt so proud of us all and all I did was participate…Friends in the audience said it was ‘magnificent’, and so professional. I think they meant it as they kept saying it. I feel so privileged to have been part of such a wonderful event. Thank you.”
“Many thanks to you & your committee for yesterday’s Big Sing. As one of the singers I was most impressed with the level of expertise of the conductor & orchestra. The whole day & venue were most enjoyable. Hope you are already thinking of another similar event!”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. NEVER did I think that I would get the chance to sing with a very large Choir and a Symphony Orchestra”
“Congratulations on such a well organised day. Singing with the Elder Con orchestra was electrifying! Thank you all!”
“Thanks for letting me sing in the requiem. An enjoyable experience…Honestly singing tonight helped me to enjoy singing again.”
2018: Faure Requiem
Sunday 9 September 2018 at Tatachilla Lutheran College Stadium
Conductor: Luke Dollman
Big Sing Massed Choir, Elder Conservatorium Chorale, Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Brooke Window – Soprano, Lachlan Scott – Baritone, Madeleine Stewart – Flute
Fauré Requiem; The Hot Gospel Groove; Chaminade – Concertino for Flute; Fauré – Cantique de Jean Racine; Donizetti Arias
2018 Sponsors
2018 Supporters
Deborah Clark, Jonathan Billington, Anne-marie Murray, Helen Richardson, Terri Clark, Geoffrey Cornish, Julie Morgan, Doris Henderson, Christine Ingleton, David Swallow, Renata Ratzer, Mark Lloyd
2017: Mozart Requiem
Saturday 10 June 2017
Tatachilla Lutheran College Stadium
Conductor Kim Worley
Chorus Master Greg John
Soloists Lachlan Scott (Bass), Fiona McArdle (Alto), Beau Sandford (Tenor), Sara Lambert (Soprano)
Core Choir Fleurieu Singers
2017 Sponsors
2017 Supporters
Ann Wilson, Anne-Marie Murray, Carole Brett, Don & Veronica Aldridge, Geoffrey Seidel, Hugo Wines, Josh Smart, Julie Morgan, Mark Lloyd, Minko Wines, Neil Piggott, Rosemary Ketteridge, Tall Poppy, , Tim Jones, Willunga Farmers Market,