A Message from CCS President, Alison White I warmly welcome you to the Albert Hall and our performance which celebrates this lovely venue and relives some of the great concerts which were held here in Canberra’s early years. There is something for everyone in this afternoon’s concert and I would like to acknowledge all the talented local Canberra artists who have contributed to the program and of course our creative and talented conductor and Artistic Director, Tobias Cole. I would also like to thank the very hard-working members of the Canberra Choral Society committee and members who devote hours of their time to the choir and without whose hard work we could not possibly put on these performances. The Canberra Choral Society relies in major part on funding from ticket sales and donations and I gratefully acknowledge those donors who have so generously supported this concert. You too can choose to support us and by doing so help us to present high quality and creative performances for Canberra audiences. All donations to the Canberra Choral Society are tax deductible. Our next performance will be the Australian premiere on period instruments of the Handel oratorio Theodora, with acclaimed soprano Greta Bradman, guest conductor Brett Weymark from Sydney Philharmonia and our own Tobias Cole, along with many other talented musicians and singers. This concert will be performed in the Canberra Playhousea first for the CCS and a really exciting venture. We look forward to seeing you in the audience on Sunday 23 June. In the meantime I hope you enjoy today’s entertaining program. Alison White Canberra Choral Society (CCS) CCS aims to facilitate the performance of choral music to the highest professional standard, to foster a love of music generally and to encourage young musicians. In 2013 CCS has established a youth choir, New Voices, for singers aged 16-26 years to further ensure the future of choral singing in Canberra. 2

A Message from CCS Artistic Director, Tobias Cole Welcome to Canberra Choral Society’s first concert for this special centenary year. It is great to be returning to the Albert Hall with the opportunity to unleash the sonic memories that are trapped deep within the plasterwork of this lovely building. Two ideas led to this program. The first was my fascination with a thesis that Peter Campbell had written entitled Limestone Plains- Song, Choral Music in Canberra 1913-1993. I wondered, ‘How could I make a concert out of this study?’ The second idea started in a conversation with a friend and arts patron, Colin Milner, who told me of Lotte Lehmann’s recital in the Albert Hall in 1939. Once I realised that the Albert Hall was the venue for performances in Canberra’s early days I embarked on the research for Great Performances. Until then I had very little idea of the rich international talent that annually performed in the Hall when Canberra’s population was fewer than 10,000! I am indebted to the National Library of Australia’s Trove website. It has enabled easy access to newspaper articles, in particular to all- important concert reviews. How wonderful it is, also, to be able to download historic sheet music like Canberra’s Calling to You! I also availed myself of many not-yet-digitalised books and pieces of music at the NLA. One book which I was thrilled to discover was Interrupted Journeys by Alan Gill. In it was the tragic story of the Vienna Mozart Boys Choir. But I’ll never forget travelling to the National Archives in Sydney’s Chester Hill, in the rain with a flat bike tire, to pour (pardon the pun) over ABC programs from the 1940s. Finally, I must thank all in Canberra Choral Society for their continued support of my vision for choral music in Canberra. Tobias Cole

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Great Performances in the Albert Hall the first 25 years (1928 – 1953)

Conductor: Tobias Cole Louise Page, Rachael Thoms, Rohan Thatcher, Paul Eldon CCS Chorus Anthony Smith (piano), Kimberley Steele (piano) Jack Hobbs (cello), Joy McDonald (puppeteer) Kim Harvey School of Dance, Turner Trebles

1927–Dame Nellie Melba at Opening of Parliament House (Rachael Thoms) God Save the King 1928–Canberra Musical Society, Raymond Beatty (Rohan Thatcher) The Erl King (Schubert) 1929–Canberra Musical Society, Harold Williams (Rohan Thatcher) Sailing at Dawn (Stanford) 1931–Canberra Combined Church Choirs And the Glory (Handel) The Heavens are Telling (Haydn) (with Louise Page, Rachael Thoms, Rohan Thatcher, Paul Eldon) 1938–song to mark Canberra’s 25th Anniversary (singalong) Canberra’s Calling to You (Lumsdaine) 1939–First Australian Ballet School (Kim Harvey School of Dance) Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) - Act 2 Waltz 1939–Lotte Lehmann (Louise Page) Dear, thou art like a flower (Schumann) Dedication (Schumann) Ständchen (Strauss) Morgen (Strauss) Covent Garden (James) Love's Philosophy (Quilter) 1939–Vienna Mozart Boys Choir (Turner Trebles) Vienna of our Dreams (Strauss) 4

Interval

1942–Canberra Ladies Choir Sing we and chant it (Harris) Hindu Song (Rimsky-Korsakov) The Cachucha dance (Sullivan) 1946–Joan Hammond (Rachael Thoms) Depuis le jour (Charpentier) 1946–Canberra Combined Church Choirs Long live Elizabeth / Peaceful England (German) 1946–Edmund Kurtz, Margaret Schofield (Jack Hobbs, Kimberley Steele) Cello Sonata no 2 Opus 99, 2nd movement (Brahms) 1947–Canberra Combined Church Choirs I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General (Sullivan) 1947–Canberra Combined Church Choirs Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) 1949–Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Margaret Schofield (Rachael Thoms, Kimberley Steele) Vergebliches Stänchen (Brahms) 1950–Canberra Male Singers, Joan Sutherland (Joy McDonald) Soldier’s Chorus (Gounod) Dich, teure Halle (Wagner) Ah! Di contento (Donizetti) Anvil Chorus (Verdi) 1953–Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second God Save the Queen

All accompaniment by Anthony Smith unless otherwise stated

5 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953 As seen through extracts from the Canberra Times

20 May 1927: Opening of Parliament House

24 October 1929

3 September 1928

6 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953

1 December 1931 4 May 1939

3 June 1938

7 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953 1 June 1939

7 July 1939

8 Lehmann and Garran – a Canberra Connection

German-born soprano Lotte to Garran’s translations by a Lehmann (1888-1976) first mutual friend. The two she performed in Canberra in 1937. sang in Canberra were When she returned two years evidently as they would appear later the clouds of war were in Garran’s Schubert and gathering in Europe, and she Schumann: Songs and had moved from Vienna to the Translations, published in United States. 1946. Interestingly, in the Heine poem, Garran had Robert Randolph Garran changed his first word – an (1867-1957) was a ‘Father of addition required to replace a Federation’ who served as the syllable he had literally lost in first Secretary of the Attorney- translation – from ‘Love’ in the General’s Department from version he had published in 1901 to 1932. It is fitting in 1924 (in a translation of this centenary year to recall the Heine’s Book of Songs) to contributions he and his wife ‘Dear’ in the later one. Hilda made to this growing community after public One of my voice teachers, the servants and their families late South African baritone began moving here in Alexander Schwartz, had considerable numbers from studied with Lehmann. I recall Melbourne in 1927. He would him telling me about the be remembered by some as the wonderful presence she had as ‘Father of Canberra’. Garran a performer. May we sense was indeed a man of many something of Lotte Lehmann’s parts - even playing second wonderful presence on the clarinet in Canberra’s first Albert Hall stage – with orchestra! Garran’s in the audience too, no doubt – as we hear these two Garran tells the story behind beautiful songs again today. the 1939 concert in his memoir Prosper the Commonwealth. Colin Milner Lehmann had been introduced

9 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953

16 July 1942 4 September 1946

All articles in our Great Performances Scrapbook come from the Canberra Times via the amazing resource trove.nla.gov.au. For a full listing of references visit our website canberrachoralsociety.org.

10 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953 22 August 1946 25 September 1946

19 August 1947

11 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953

12 December 1947 12 September 1949

12 Great Performances Scrapbook 1928-1953 25 May 1953

18 September 1950

4 June 1953

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Singalong

Canberra's Calling to You Words and music by Jack Lumsdaine (Sydney: Chappell & Co., c. 1938)

Sheet music available through the National Library of Australia: nla.gov.au/nla.mus-vn2061067 Menzies declaration of war 1939 from the collection of the National Film and Sound Archive Recordings of Joan Sutherland from Sutherland Rarities Vol 1: The early years. Desiree Records 14

Tobias Cole, CCS Artistic Director Tobias Cole has gained a reputation as a highly sought after choral trainer and innovative concert programmer. As CCS Artistic Director, his inspiring long-term vision includes presenting one Handel oratorio in Canberra each year. He is well qualified for the task, with a Helpmann Award nomination in Handel’s Julius Caesar ( Australia, 2007) and a Green Room Award in the title role of Handel’s Xerxes (Victorian Opera, 2009). CCS has now presented two Handel oratorios under Tobias’ leadership: (2011) and Saul (2012), with Theodora to come this year. Tobias is also one of Australia’s most successful , travelling the country as a soloist in opera, oratorio and theatre. He has just returned from a staged production of Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Opera Queensland, conducted by Graham Abbott: ‘…Tobias Cole's "Erbarme Dich" is a highlight…’ (The Australian) 2013 engagements include Dido and Aeneas for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Theodora for Canberra Choral Society, Carmina Burana for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s Messiah for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In 2012 Tobias reprised the role of Oberon for Opera Australia in their famous Baz Luhrmann production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He also performed the role of La Speranza in Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

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Louise Page, Soprano Louise Page is one of Australia’s most highly regarded singers and has performed in opera, operetta, oratorio, cabaret, recital and broadcasts throughout Europe and Australia. She is the winner of the inaugural Mietta's Song Recital Competition, the vocal grand final of the ABC Young Performer of the Year Award, the Robert Stolz/Apex scholarship to Vienna, and the Belgian Radio and Television Opera en Bel Canto City of Ghent Prize. Louise has performed throughout Europe, including roles at the Vienna State Opera as a member of the young artist program. Now based in Canberra, she has performed with the Sydney, Queensland, Canberra and Central Coast Symphony Orchestras and the National Capital Orchestra. She has appeared in recital for many organisations including Musica Viva, the ABC, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and the Canberra International Music Festival. In 2007 Louise received a Canberra Critics Circle Award for music and was named the Canberra Times Artist of the Year. With accompanist Phillipa Candy she has recorded six CDs of music varying from Lieder to operetta, Australian music and Christmas songs. Until recently she was a Lecturer in Voice at the Australian National University School of Music. In the 2013 Australia Day Honours List Louise was awarded an OAM for services to the performing arts.

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Rachael Thoms, Lyric Soprano Rachael Thoms is one of a new breed of truly versatile singers. Accomplished in both jazz and classical performance, she is the only graduate of the ANU School of Music to have completed a Jazz BMus Performance degree with First Class Honours in Classical Performance. Rachael was the recipient of the 2011 Canberra International Music Festival Young Performer Award and a top 100 finalist in ABC’s Operatunity Oz. She completed her Master of Music degree at ANU School of Music in 2012 and travelled to the UK and Europe for an intensive period of professional development working with some of the world's leading voice experts. Rachael sang twice with the Canberra Choral Society in 2012: as featured soloist in the CCS Concert in Tribute to Dame Nellie Melba and at the official Bali Bombing 10th Anniversary Memorial Event at Parliament House (broadcast live nationally on ABC television and radio). Other broadcast credits include ABC Classic FM Sunday Live, Artsound FM, and ABC 666. She has appeared as soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Major ‘Coronation Mass’, Bach’s Wachet Auf, and Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor among many others. Rachael released her debut jazz recording, The Great Unknown, in 2011 with improvising pianist and composer Luke Sweeting.

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Rohan Thatcher, Baritone Rohan Thatcher studied Voice for a Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium. He has been a regular soloist with many Sydney performing ensembles. Oratorio performances include the Radio Community Chest’s annual Messiah in the Sydney Town Hall, Haydn’s Creation, cantatas by JS Bach and Mozart’s Requiem. Rohan has recorded broadcast recitals for ABC Classic FM, toured as a principal artist with OzOpera and Opera Hunter and been a regular casual chorus singer with Opera Australia. Roles include Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro and the title role in Don Giovanni. In 2003 Rohan went on his first tour with OzOpera in the role of Schaunard for their touring production of Puccini’s La Bohème. OzOpera touring roles include Peter in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen, and Prince Yamadori and the Bonze in Puccini's Madame Butterfly directed by John Bell. In 2012 Rohan featured in the title role in the Canberra Choral Society performance of Handel's Saul. He has also performed locally for Artsong Canberra, the University of Canberra choir and the ANU's Premier Concert series. Paul Eldon, Tenor Paul was trained in the English choral tradition at the Oratory School in Berkshire where he was appointed Head Chorister in his final year. He lived in Beijing from 2001 to 2009 where he sang with the International Festival Chorus, performing in a number of

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China premiere performances and working with singers and conductors including Emma Kirkby, Justin Lavender and Liang Ning. In Canberra Paul sings tenor in the Pocket Score Company (winner, Best ACT Choral/Vocal Group 2012 MusicACT Annual Music Awards) and in 2012 co-founded chamber music ensemble Coro (finalist in the same awards). Solo work includes Mozart’s Requiem and the role of David in From a Black Sky as part of the 2012 First Seen series of programmes at the Street Theatre. Anthony Smith (piano) Anthony Smith is one of Canberra’s leading accompanists. He has been repetiteur for the CCS since 2005, and his knowledge, skills, and insightful feedback make him an invaluable part of our rehearsals. It is always special to be able to feature Anthony on stage where our audience can appreciate his wonderful accompanist skills. Anthony’s 2011 performance highlights include recitals at the Australian Flute Festival with international artists Molly Barth and Alexa Still. He is also a musicologist, composer and arranger. Kimberley Steele (piano) Kimberley Steele (formerly Michael) has performed with Sydney Sinfonia Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and with artists including cellist David Pereira, soprano Amy Corkery and baritone Alexander Knight. Her performances have been broadcast on 2MBS FM, ArtSound FM and ABC Canberra to critical acclaim.

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Kimberley graduated as Margaret Smiles Accompaniment Competition winner from the Australian National University, and was awarded the Geoffrey Parsons Australian Scholarship at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 2010 she was appointed Head of Accompaniment at the Conservatorium High School. Since returning to Canberra in 2012 Kimberley has been lecturing at the Australian Catholic University and freelancing as a teacher and pianist. Jack Hobbs (cello)

Jack grew up on a dairy farm on the far south coast of NSW. In his last year at school, Jack imagined studying science. However after a year working in the cheese mines, it was to playing music that he wished to give the next few years. In 2012 he completed a BMus with Honours, studying with David Pereira. In the last few years Jack has performed with the Canberra International Music Festival, the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp and the AISIO orchestral summer school in Hobart. He has always been most drawn to the intimacy of chamber music, and in both 2010 and 2011 was part of ensembles that reached the final round of the Friends of the SoM Chamber Music Competition. Jack teaches cello at Orana, and has tutored at music camps in Canberra, Albury and Bega. When not playing the cello Jack brews, bakes and turns his compost heap. Joy McDonald (puppeteer) Joy McDonald left her teaching career to begin as a puppeteer in the late 1960s with Peter Scriven’s Tintookies at the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, Sydney. She continued her work with Richard Bradshaw, Australia’s leading shadow 20 puppeteer, working in various shows including ABC TVs Playschool. In later years she became a practising artist on the north NSW coast and then as a graduate of the National Institute of the Arts, ANU in Canberra where she now lives and works as a multi-disciplinary artist. Her current work includes a puppet production for adults and children at the Street Theatre with a show called “The very Sad Fish-lady” to be performed with David Pereira’s music in September this year as part of the Canberra Centenary. The puppet of Joan Sutherland was made 23 years ago as part of a two-hour show titled ‘Black and Beyond’ constructed and directed by Joy in 1989-90. Joan is delighted to make a ‘comeback’ from last century for this wonderful celebration at the Albert Hall commemorating a significant part of Canberra’s history. Kim Harvey School of Dance Gabrielle Carter Cassady Mann Understudies: Montanna Cloos Charlotte Scott Zahra Dixon Olivia Hendry Emily Tokic Hannah Minchie Vanessa Lawson Natalie Whalley Turner Trebles The Turner Trebles is a non-auditioned boys choir that was established at the start of 2013 at Turner School with a view to getting more boys singing. The Trebles, ranging in age from 7 to 13, meet once weekly and are directed by Tobias Cole, eminent Australian singer and Artistic Director of the Canberra Choral Society. This is the Trebles' debut performance.

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CCS Chorus Sopranos Altos Tenors Maureen Boyle Jess Aan Cody Christopher Lyndal Callister Elizabeth Clements Michael Gill Julie Carmody Susan Cowan Brenton Lovett Helen Catchatoorian Judy Evans Peter May Bronwyn Clare Sandra Gray Peter Morris Kelly Corner Barbara Inglis Simon Tiller Alison Cozadinos Trish Levick Rachael Eddowes Colette Lucas Basses Margaret Evans Margaret McElhinny Jarrah Bloomfield Brenda Gill Atja Maier Philip Bloomfield Karen Halliday Lorraine Newman Arko Chakrabarty Deborah Hayes Beverley Payne Gary Faehse June Howell Yvonne Scales Paul Gardner Jenny Landsberg Sylvia Shanahan Ian Gilkes Christine Mahe Margot Skinner Rowan Grigg Nathalie O’Toole Lydia Stanhope Marcus Hurley Claire Parkhill Helene Stead John Inglis Erika Parkinson Lyn Stevens Geoff Millar Kerry Parkinson Sarah Sutcliffe Brian O’Connor Brenda Potter Kaye Sweeting Michael Pidcock Irene Reid Laura Tingle David Short Alice Richardson Susan Tonkin Trevor Shumack Carole Shearer Lynne Webb Sandra Shumack Christiane Weissbach Margot Skinner Annabelle Wheeler Bettina Söderbaum Doris Stokes Sing with the Canberra Choral Society! Ever wanted to sing Handel’s Messiah? With a full orchestra and soloists? Without having to audition? Then join our mailing list so you hear when we open applications for our ‘Come and Sing Handel’s Messiah’. It’s first come, first served – last year we had to turn people away, so don’t miss out! Fill out the form on your seat or email [email protected].

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CCS Ventures into Crowdfunding! CCS has decided to join the cutting edge of twenty-first century financing and use crowdfunding to partially fund our production of Handel’s Theodora. This is an innovative way to raise money through friends, supporters, and “the crowd” of music lovers around Australia. Theodora will be a very special event with top quality guest artists such as soprano Greta Bradman and conductor Brett Weymark, and an orchestra to die for playing on period instruments – an Australian first for Theodora. It will also be our first venture into the gorgeous Canberra Playhouse. You’ll be able to “pledge” as little or as much as you like, and we’ll be offering different rewards for different amounts. Pledges are only released if we reach our funding target, so we hope you’ll let all your friends know! Please fill in the form on your seat to join our mailing list and be kept informed, or watch canberrachoralsociety.org. Acknowledgements ABC Radio, ArtSound FM, the Canberra Times, Canberra Weekly, the Chronicle and City News for helping to promote this concert. The Silk Road Gallery in Kennedy St, Kingston for the lovely furniture. The ACT Government and Capital Wines for ongoing support. Greta Bradman photo by Pia Johnson (2012) Cover design by Gillian Worrall Program written and compiled by Kelly Corner, Canberra Choral Society, April 2013. 23