Gondwana National Choirs

LATEST NEWS

 

Click here to download our 2012 Annual Report.

 

Click here to download our 2012 Annual Financial Report

 

Contact us to receive our monthly enewsletter Behind The Swirl

Gondwana Chorale European tour

 

All 44 choristers from Gondwana Chorale are performing a concert series in major venues, including St John's Smith Square, London, during their premiere European tour in January 2013.

All performances will feature music by legendary English composer Benjamin Britten in celebration of the centenary of his birth. The dynamic program also includes works from contemporary Australian choral composers Joseph Twist, Paul Stanhope and Clare Maclean.

Conducting the choir will be Principal Guest Conductor Paul Holley and Guest Conductor Carl Crossin OAM, and they will be accompanied by Luke Byrne on piano.

Concert details below:

Thursday 24 January, 7.30pm

Concert for S4C Television
Dora Stoutzker Hall, Royal College of Music & Drama
Price: £5
Contact: eryl.humphreys@cwmnida.tv

 

Friday 25 January, 1pm
Lunchtime Recital
Gloucester Cathedral
12 College Street, Gloucester Free Event, no booking required

 

Saturday 26 January, 1pm
Lunchtime Recital
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
St Aldates, Oxfordshire
Free Event, no booking required

 

Tuesday 29 January, 1.15pm
Lunchtime Recital
St Paul's Cathedral, London
Recital included in normal cathedral admission price

 

Wednesday 30 January, 7.30pm
Concert at St John's Smith Square, London
Price: £18/£14/£9
Concession Price: Friends of SJSS 10% discount on pair of tickets
Box Office: +44 (0) 20 7222 1061 or www.sjss.org.uk

 

Thursday 31 January, 1pm
Lunchtime Recital at St John's College Chapel, Cambridge
St John's Street, Cambridge
Free Event, no booking required

 

Saturday 2 February, 4pm
Concert at La Madeleine Church, Paris
Place de la Madeleine, Paris
Free Event, no booking required

National Choral School 2013
National Choral School has wrapped up for another year. And what a year it was - an outstanding two weeks of inspirational and innovative music tuition with some of the world's finest artistic staff.

Visit the Gondwana National Choirs facebook page to see all the photos

Our 2013 Activities

Please click here to see our 2013 Activities page.

Gondwana Choirs recognised for excellence in education!

At the 2012 Art Music Awards, Gondwana Choirs was awarded the APRA/AMC Award for Excellence in Music Education. Other award winners included Nigel Westlake, Brett Dean, Andrea Keller and Peter Sculthorpe. Click here for photos of the award ceremony.

SUPPORT

 

Gondwana Choirs helps create a future for Australian music by identifying, training and supporting the country’s best young singers, composers and conductors.

Founded by Artistic Director Lyn Williams OAM in 1989, our original choir - the Sydney Children’s Choir has become one of the world’s most celebrated children’s ensembles.

Since 1997, four national choirs (including the internationally acclaimed Gondwana Voices) were formed to give talented young people from across Australia access to our choral training programs; and in 2008 we established the Gondwana National Indigenous Children’s Choir.

 

Today our choral training program includes almost 1000 choristers and has reached over 2300 young Indigenous people across Australia. To support Gondwana Choirs innovative and acclaimed choral training programs, simply click on this link:

 

 

Or contact Jen Drysdale, Philanthropy Manager, 02 8274 7010.

 

We are committed to providing a happy and safe environment in which children can be proud to learn, be inspired, aspire to excellence, perform, socialise, make friendships, and flourish. Such experiences build a child’s confidence and self-esteem, allowing them to better engage in their school and community. These are often life changing opportunities for young people.

 

Independent research shows that:

• Young children with developed rhythm skills perform better academically in early school years
• A 10 year study - tracking more than 25,000 students - shows that music-making improves exam scores
• Children who have had music lessons tend to have a larger vocabulary and better reading ability
• Singing in a choir provides a demonstrable increase in self-esteem, confidence and community spirit

Online Surveys Powered By QuestionPro
Web Polls Powered By MicroPoll
https://www.questionpro.com/pricing/non-profit.html

Gondwana National Indigenous Children’s Choir

“They’re pioneers! That’s what I always remind them because that’s what they are. They are ambassadors for their people; their professionalism and example paves the way for other Indigenous children. Our involvement with Gondwana Choirs and all that has stemmed from it has been incredible and our lives are all the richer”.
Rubina Kimiia,
Music Teacher,
Education Queensland, Cairns

 

GNICC meet the Prime Minister!

 

39 of our Cairns-based choristers were a hit at the 2012 Minerals Week parliamentary dinner in Canberra on May 30, performing for the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, international diplomats and leading business people, as guests of Rio Tinto. The choir performed songs including Li-Anthawirriyarra (by Shellie Morris with Yanuwa women), Ngai bu-bu ya (by Dennis Newie) and Kaiape and Sesereye (traditional Torres Strait Island songs and dances).

 

Photo by www.geoffcomfort.com

 

GNICC on the NSW North Coast!

 

Following workshops in November 2011, we held our first NSW North Coast camp at the beautiful Yarrahappinni Youth Centre, Scotts Head in April 2012, with 24 young people from the Nambucca, Macksville and Bowraville Region. The choristers worked hard learning songs and dancing with Sani Townson (choreographer and mentor), conductor/composer Dan Walker and pianist Luke Byrne. They also enjoyed a language session with Aunty Maxine Jarrett from the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Centre and helped Dan and Luke to create a piece of music called Land Sleeps, Ocean Rests, which Aunty Maxine translated into Gumbaynggirr language. Camp ended with a presentation for parents, friends and family at the Nambucca Heads Entertainment Centre, including the performance of a piece called ‘Gamiis place’ with the local Elders Choir.

 

Choreographer and Mentor Sani Towson with NSW North Coast workshop participants in November 2011

 

Fun at the GNICC NSW North Coast camp, April 2012

 

GNICC is unique - and has become a much-loved and prominent leader in the Indigenous music community, especially for its commitment to preserving songs in Indigenous languages, its pursuit of excellence and its embodiment of hope for the future. In addition to developing musical skills and expanding their horizons, choristers’ involvement in the GNICC has resulted in improved school attendance, literacy & numeracy skills, engagement with learning, resilience, respect, commitment, professionalism and enhanced self-esteem and confidence for the children involved.

 

All GNICC programs run at completely no cost to participants, their families or communities. Our goal is to provide sustained, high-quality musical education to many more Indigenous children.

 

Read more about the Gondwana National Indigenous Children’s Choir (GNICC)

 

To help us build on the success of the Gondwana National Indigenous Children’s Choir, and provide life-changing experiences to more Indigenous young people across Australia, simply click on this link:

 

 

Or contact Daria O’Neill, Development Manager,
02 8274 7011