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Children's Choral Festival
HILLSONGS 2009 with Richard Gill
Hillsongs is an annual choral festival for Children's Choirs. Ten schools join forces in a massed choir, and teachers have the opportunity to take part in professional development workshops with a guest conductor. In Term 4, 2009 Richard Gill will present teacher and student workshops.
Richard Gill is currently the Music Director of the Victorian Opera and is internationally respected as a music educator, specialising in opera, musical theatre, vocal and choral training. Richard's work in developing young musicians and creating opportunities for them is recognized world-wide. He expects this project will link into his Introducation to Opera programs and open the doors to a wider appreciation of music and the opportunity to become actively involved in music making. He is keen to demonstrate to children that creating music is possible and enjoyable, and that their own music can be presented to an audience at a grand concert. This project is subsidised by the Music Fund of the Australia Council.
The composition component of the project is optional and will involve students interested in composition from the schools choir. As well as rehearsing the massed item and individual items, Richard will work with motivated students to create a piece which may be presented at the concert as part of the school's individual item. At the concert, schools are invited to present one song of their choice that reflects this year's theme 'bushfire recovery'. Choirs are seated in the auditorium when not on stage, and can enjoy watching and listening to other choirs. All of the choirs join together to sing the massed items as the finale.
The Fire Cycle 2005
The DRMC has had a number of successful projects relating to fire that have helped educate and heal the community. For example:
Ash Wednesday - Elements performance
Spirit of the Mountain - 1997 Fires
Changes in the Ranges - 2003
The community told us they wanted more! The Fire Cycle Project was a response to that.
What was involved?
Community songwriting workshops with composers and the community
Commissioning of new music especially composed for the Project
Performance of new music
Performance of Elements composed in 1985
Visual arts and dance to tell the community's fire stories
Production of a Fire Education music CD with Fire Brigades and Community
Premiere Performance - Song of the Fireys (We're Not Heroes) - March 5th 2005 Fire Fighters Torchlight Parade at the Knox Festival
Fire Cycle Finale - Concert at Belgrave Heights Convention Centre on October 8th and 9th, 2005.
Who was involved?
Yarra Ranges community singers, musicians, dancers, visual artists, circus performers. All ages and abilities
Professional musicians, composers, visual artists and choreographers
Interested groups, schools and individuals in the community
Parks Victoria, CFA, Shire of Yarra Ranges, Environmental groups and emergency services personnel
The Community Forest Project
Volunteer helpers and stage crew
Download - We're Not Heroes (Song of the Fireys)
Download - Fire Cycle DVD order form
Download - DSE Community Engagement Newsletter - featuring The Fire Cycle.
Composers Connecting Community
A very successful performance of over 400 schoolchildren took place on Monday 24th July 2006 as the culmination of the Composers Connecting Community project.the 12 schools involved. The work of poet C.J.Dennis,appropriately set to music by Dr.Calvin Bowman, was reintroduced most effectively to a new generation of readers, and student's relished the opportunity to work with a "living composer".
Schools involved in the project were:
Ferny Creek Primary School
Gembrook Primary School
Mt Dandenong Primary School
Kallista Primary School
Monbulk Primary School
Mt Evelyn Primary School
Mt Evelyn Special Development School
Upwey South Primary School
Menzies Creek Primary School
Boronia Heights Primary School
Fairhills Primary School
Heany Park Primary School
Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School
Other components of the project included a collaboration between Dr. Bowman and the Ranges Young Strings, and work with vocal group Singularity and the Upwey High School Concert Band. Dr. Bowman also took time to mentor emerging composers working with the Dandenong Ranges Orchestra.