Voices in the Wilderness

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Details: Written by: Super User

Our Christmas concert at Carclew was very special for all of us this year marking some major milestones for the choir - some amazingly amazing and others poignant and a little sad.

Our concert of Christmas music and merriment spanned the centuries from an ancient carol arranged for us by our inspirational choir director, Jodie O'Regan, to a particularly beautiful song cycle "Nativity", composed by Jodie. This piece showcased the choir with large ensemble pieces, small ensemble pieces and a glorious solo sung by Wendy Stanton.

We opened the concert with the gospel classic, "Mary had a Baby", moved through the crooning melancholy of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" sung by Emlyn O'Regan.

In the mix was Handel’s "Hallelujah Chorus" from The Messiah, a perennial Christmas favourite which sounded pretty fine and was a blast to sing. Also a pretty fine achievement for a community choir. Our guest trumpet player, David Kafaghi, accompanied the choir for the chorus and also played with Emlyn for a beautiful rendition of "The Trumpet shall Sound" also from the Messiah. Purcell's delightful duet "Sound the Trumpet" was sung by our sopranos Sally McHenry and Gisela Obst, and accompanied by Thea Maxwell on piano.

Voices in the wilderness have been singing as a choir with Jodie O’Regan for 11 years. Our concert this year showcased a mature, confident, ensemble that exudes a great joy of singing as well as a nuanced musicality and choral achievement. I think we would all say that this is because of Jodie's incredible teaching ability and choral know-how, and her very special ability to get the absolute best out of every choir member.

Sadly, this was our last concert with Jodie as our guiding star. Good bye Jodie with all our love.

The choir will embark on our next decade together in 2018 with Alex Roose as our new choir director. We are all excited to start this new choral journey together.

Details: Written by: Super User

This Friday is the last rehearsal day before our end-of-year concert 2pm, 10th December 2017 at Carclew, 11 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide. It is also the day we sing Christmas songs at the Royal Adelaide Hospital at 12:30pm. The programme for the RAH includes the following:

Mary Had a Baby

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Mary Did You Know

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

The First Noel

Ding Dong Merrily on High

Joy to the World

Hallelujah Chorus

Details: Written by: Super User

At St John's Sunday 7th May '17, "Voices in the Wilderness" produced a wonderful concert. Audience and choir alike were treated to beautiful solos by Wendy Stanton, and delightful recorder items from Sally McHenry, and three songs from our quartet "Time Sweetened Honey".

Guests Ray Smith (Scottish Small Pipes) and Kerryn Schofield (Hurdy Gurdy) accompanied our soloist and choir for several items. Guests from "Synergy Handbell Ensemble" accompanied the choir for what was to be one of the highlights of the day, the performance of

Details: Written by: Super User

Voices in the Wilderness delivered a third rendition of Adriano Banchieri's "Il Festino" at Living Choice Retirement Village, Fullarton. By all accounts the show went really well.

Comments from fellow choristers included "Our best rendition yet" - "Great feedback from the audience" - "It was great fun, and I am sure everyone enjoyed it."

And our Mike said: "Just thought you would like to hear that it was really good being part of the audience, this afternoon. I really enjoyed listening to you. Apparently, according to my neighbour, I sang most of the bass parts with you! It was great to see how much you were enjoying singing together and acting out the parts of the score. Your harmonies sounded very clear and balanced and your performance was obviously enjoyed by the audience. Well Done. I had fun watching you."Our Jodie

Details: Written by: Super User

Adelaide's Voices in the Wilderness choir travelled to the Newport Folk Festival at Williamstown Vic. to present the wonderful Italian renaissence madrigal comedy by Benedictine Monk Adriano Banchieri (1568-1634). The work was translated by our Choir Director Jodie O'Regan. The event was held in "The Substation" at Williamstown on Saturday 1st July.