Category Archive: Gigs

Rehearsing for ALP 100 yr anniversary gig

April 18, 2013

20 at rehearsal tonight, sounding great. Well done Florence for conducting. You’ll have a great gig tomorrow.

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More Illawarra Folk Festival Photos

January 23, 2013

These courtesy of Margo McLaughlin, with thanks!
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Joyful singing at the Illawarra Folk Festival

January 20, 2013

Illawarra Union Singers joined with the Newcastle People’s Chorus, and the Sydney Trade Union Choir in an hour long concert of rousing and poignant songs at the Folk Festival. We had a full house and audience joined in some of the songs and cheered the rest.

We sang 3 songs each and then 4 all together. Of the joint songs, I conducted “4 Strong Women” (acknowledging the song’s author Maurie Mulheron who was in the audience), and “Coal Seam Gas” (which I arranged to go with words by Ainslie Lamb). They sounded great, and hearing Coal Seam Gas sung with 60 voices, and so well balanced across the parts – a total delight. I was pretty pumped!

Illawarra did themselves proud with our version of “Walk On”, dedicated to the indigenous people of the Illawarra, and also acknowledging John Littrich who was also in the audience. Our version of Eric Bogle’s “Singing the Spirit Home” was very beautiful, and our short rousing finale of “Mnogaja Ljeta” got everybody cheering.

Here we are in the grandstands rehearsing – all 3 choirs together. Sounded great!!

This is the third year I’ve been involved in this and I think the combined sound gets better every year. Maurie congratulated me on how good Illawarra sounded and has improved, which meant a lot to me. Thanks everybody for your continued hard work.

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Heritage Hotel gig

September 24, 2012

How delightful it was for us to be invited to support the Queensland indie group “Laneway” in their national tour album launch. A gig at the Heritage Hotel, and Singongo accpeted our invitation to join us and make a solid 30 minute set. Shame I was in Cowra at the time, but you guys rocked on without me, power to you all.

More photos from Blackheath

September 17, 2012

From the professional photographer.

New choir poster girl?

September 17, 2012

Blackheath 2011!

August 30, 2012

And look what i found in the time-capsule! A clip from last year’s concert at Blackheath. (Thanks Rod.)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YapuiXBCo&w=560&h=315]

Solidarity at Blackheath

August 28, 2012

And the finale song, Solidarity of course! Thanks to Gerri Wood and Barry Spooner for the lovely duet at the start. And the members of the Sydney and Newcastle choirs of course, for joining us.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH6e2aBCpRw&w=640&h=360]

Bread and Roses at Blackheath

August 28, 2012

With many thanks to our friends from Sydney and Newcastle Trade Union Choirs who came from their festival gig a little earlier to sing with us at the Blackheath Choir Festival. It was so fab to almost double the numbers on our last 2 songs. You sounded great. Thanks for watching me like a hawk and getting the dynamics right, as well as those pesky ever changing words!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk4QRA_UzqQ&w=560&h=315]

Singing the Spirit home at Blackheath

August 28, 2012

It was a lovely sunny day inside and outside the little old church in Blackheath – packed full of audience – to hear our concert. Here is the video of the Eric Bogle song we sang for the first time. Very moving, well done guys. And a big thanks to our courageous tenors Zlatko Jevic and Rod Mackenzie for singing the heartfelt verses for us.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmn2G4dWbaA&w=560&h=315]