Australian Children's Choir
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Founded in 1976, the Australian Children’s Choir is widely regarded as one of the finest mixed-voice children's choirs in Australia. Based in Melbourne, and consisting of some 200 boys and girls aged 7 - 18 in six different training ensembles, the choir has developed a strong reputation for its refined performances, varied repertoire and the production of fine young musicians, many of whom have gone on to pursue successful musical careers.
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[edit] Touring
The ACC has made regular international tours, to countries including England, Hong Kong, Wales, the USA and Canada, and New Zealand. In 2004 the ACC undertook a major concert tour of Europe and the United Kingdom, which saw it perform in cities such as Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Edinburgh, Cambridge and London. In 2005 the choir toured New Zealand for the second time, and in January 2007 the ACC undertook its first concert tour of mainland China, which saw the choir perform in prestigious venues in cities such as Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Tianjin and Huangyan.
The choir regularly tours throughout Australia, having recently performed in Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide, and Canberra as well as extensively throughout regional and country Victoria.
[edit] Engagements
The ACC regularly appears in concert with many of Melbourne's leading musical ensembles, including groups such as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, the Academy of Melbourne, the Central Band of the RAAF, the Australian Classical Players, Royal Australian Naval Band, and the Victorian Police Showband.
Highlights in recent years have included Mahler's 8th Symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under conductor Markus Stenz, a featured appearance at the nationally televised AFI Awards Ceremony, numerous televised performances on Rove Live, and concerts with the legendary rock band Kiss and the Melbourne Symphony at the Telstra Dome (globally released on CD and DVD). The ACC also appeared at the 2004 AFL Grand Final, and participated in a series of filmed international television commercials for the Korean Motor Company Kia, filmed on various locations around Victoria, as well as giving a live televised performance to an estimated one billion people for China Television to mark the 30th anniversary of Australian-Chinese relations.
Leading artists the choir has recently appeared with include Julie Anthony, Marina Prior, Rhonda Burchmore, Marcia Hines, Delta Goodrem, Rove Macmanus, David Hobson and Peter Brockelhurst. Past recordings include John Farnham's Whispering Jack Albumn, and the smash hit You're the Voice, as well as numerous recordings ranging from folk music and commercials to movie soundtracks.
The choir has produced two CDs; "Leave No Song Unsung" (which was nominated for a Sounds Australian Award in 2004 for best Choral Recording), and more recently, "Christmas Lullaby", featuring music for the Festive Season. Both have been featured on ABC Classic FM and 3MBS FM. The ACC wil be releasing another CD in the near future.
2006 included performances of J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion with the Melbourne Bach Choir, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Orff's Carmina Burana (with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic) as well as the "Irish Songs of Praise" concerts and appearances at the Melbourne International Fashion festival at BMW Edge and at the Stringybark Folk Festival. The choir also performed in concerts with the Salvation Army, a series of concerts with the Victoria Police Showband at the Police Academy, a series of concerts at The Australia Club, the RACV Club, several corporate performances at various venues around the city, a featured appearance at Banyule’s Carols by Candlelight, and ‘Carols in the Cathedral’ (also with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic) in St Paul’s Cathedral. These were in addition to the numerous charity and local community performances the choir performs throughout the year.
[edit] Members
There are approximately 200 singers in the choir, ranging in age from 6 to 18, and comprised of six groups: Beginners, Melody, Harmony, Training, Reserve, and Senior Choristers. The young singers who comprise the senior performing ensemble of the Australian Children's Choir meet twice a week to rehearse outside school hours, and must demonstrate a high degree of musical ability, personal organization and concentration to become proud wearers of the ACC's distinctive green uniforms. In return, they receive many wonderful musical and social opportunities that they would not otherwise experience, and take on the role of fine young ambassadors for both the ACC and their country.
[edit] Musical Directors
Andrew Wailes is the current Musical Director of the choir, and conducts the Senior Choristers. He began his musical studies as a flautist and a chorister in various School of Church Music choirs, and later studied advanced conducting with Robert Rosen, voice with David Ross-Smith and choral conducting with may prestigious specialists such as Simon Halsey, Jo-Michael Scheibe, Stephan Parkman, Rodney Eichenberger and John Rutter.
Andrew Wailes has gained a reputation as one of Australia's leading young conductors pecializing in symphonic choral repertoire, and enjoys a busy performing and teaching schedule both in Melbourne and around Australia. He began his musical studies as a flautist and as a chorister in various Royal School of Church Music choirs, later studying advanced orchestral conducting with the late Robert Rosen and voice with David Ross Smith. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and Certificates in Applied Music (Orchestral and Choral Conducting) at Monash University, and following studies in Political Science and Law concentrated on his musical career, also studying conducting with leading international choral specialists including Simon Halsey, and John Rutter (UK), Jo-Michael Sheibe, and Rodney Eichenberger (US), Stefan Parkman (Denmark) as well as many of Australia's leading conductors.
Andrew assumed the role of Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra at the end of 1998, making him one of the youngest persons ever to hold that position in almost 150 years. Andrew's other posts currently include Artistic Director of The Australian Children's Choir, Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Melbourne University Choral Society, Box Hill Chorale, the Australian Catholic University's St Patrick's Campus Choir, and the Monash University Faculty Choir ‘Viva Voce’.
In 1999 Andrew was the winner of the prestigious Australasian International Choral Conducting Competition in Brisbane, and appeared with the acclaimed Candomino Chamber Choir from Helsinki, Finland. He has also appeared with major choirs from the USA, Sweden, England, South Africa, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand as guest conductor.
Andrew has conducted an impressive list of major works, such as the choral symphonies of Australians Carl Vine and Philip Bracanin, and major choral/ orchestral works such as Peter Sculthorpe’s Requiem, Haydn's The Creation, Handel's Messiah (including the Mozart arrangement), Dixit Dominus and Judas Maccabaeus, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, J.S. Bach's St John Passion, Mozart's Requiem and 'Great' Mass in C minor, Morten Laurisden's Lux Aeterna, Rachmaninov's Vespers, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Rachmaninov’s The Bells, Orff's Carmina Burana, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Elgar's The Spirit of England and Verdi's Requiem and Stabat Mater amongst others. He has also commissioned and conducted numerous first performances of new works by Australian composers such as Peter Sculthorpe, Gordon Kerry, Stephen Leek, Christopher Willcock, Stuart Greenbaum, Nicholas Buc, John Peterson, Colin Brumby and David Howell.
He has been guest conductor of ensembles such as the State Orchestra of Victoria, Stuttgart Radio Orchestra (Germany), the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Sinfonia, Stonnington Symphony Orchestra and in 2001 made his international debut with the Christchurch Sinfonia (New Zealand). The same year he also assisted Maestro Valery Gergiev as backstage conductor and extra chorus director for the Kirov Opera's acclaimed performances of The Fiery Angel for the Melbourne International Festival. In demand as a session conductor for recordings for film and television, Andrew has also appeared with many leading Australian and international performers, including the legendary rock band ‘Kiss’ and the Melbourne Symphony at the Telstra Dome.
Andrew has prepared choirs for many leading Australian and international conductors, for major works such as Britten's War Requiem, Mahler's Symphony II and Symphony VIII, Verdi's Requiem, Bizet's Carmen, and Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. He has been engaged as a chorusmaster and conductor for the Australian Intervarsity Choral Festival in all Australian capital cities. He has appeared regularly in Melbourne for Independent Classics, conducting major concert events including popular programs such as the Last Night of the Proms and Music from the Movies. In 2003 Andrew was chorus director of the Australian Youth Orchestra's performance of Schoenberg's Gürrelieder for the Perth International Arts Festival.
He also co-conducted the world premiere season of Julian Yu's new opera The Possessed, for Chamber Made Opera and in 2005 conducted Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia for the Lyric Opera of Melbourne (for which he recently received a judge’s nomination for a prestigious Green Room Award for best opera conductor).
In 2004, Andrew undertook several orchestral engagements in Stuttgart (Germany), and led a major concert tour of Europe and the UK with the Australian Children's Choir, directing performances by the ACC and various European ensembles in major European cities including Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Edinburgh, York, Cambridge and London. He returned to conduct and chorusmaster several concerts for the Perth International Arts Festival, the Australian Intervarsity Choral Festival and the Prague Chamber Orchestra (for which he chorus mastered Dvorak’s Stabat Mater). Andrew has taught or conducted ensembles at the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Music, the School of Music Conservatorium at Monash University, the Melba Conservatorium of Music, and the Victorian College of the Arts. He is currently a lecturer and conductor at the Australian Catholic University, St Patrick's Campus and at Monash University. In 2005 he returned as a guest conductor of the VCA Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Classical Players, and international ensembles including the Yale Glee Club (USA) and Camerata Academica Freiburg (Germany).
He has directed choirs for many major televised events, including six AFL Grand Finals, the opening of Stadium Australia, the AFI Awards (twice), and most recently at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
Andrew also has extensive experience as a singer. He made his professional operatic debut with the Australian Opera (Opera Australia) as one of the Apprentices in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and has since appeared with ensembles including Opera Australia, IHOS Opera, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Past Echoes Early Music Group, the National Youth Choir of Australia as well as numerous professional recording ensembles. He is also a regular soloist in concert and oratorio performances, and is frequently engaged as a guest conductor, speaker and teacher at various summer schools and festivals around the country.
[edit] Patrons
The Hon. John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia
The Hon. Lindsay Thompson AO, CMG
Ronald Walker AC, CBE
John Farnham AO
Jean Ashworth-Bartle CM, O.ONT
Toni Lamond OAM
Terry Gill
Artistic Director and Conductor: Andrew Wailes
Principal Accompanist: Jonathan Bradley
[edit] Sources
www.theacc.com.au
Note: This article may appear not to have cited its sources correctly. This is because much of the information in this article was contributed by a member of the Australian Children's Choir, therefore, no sources were required.
[edit] External links
www.theacc.com.au
