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Singing in the Chinese Gardens, Bendigo
Photo by LARA McKINLEY

Jennifer Schatzle as Dame
Nellie Melba at the Gorgeous
Voices Festival
Photo by LARA McKINLEY

A mesmerised audience listening
to the beautiful voice of
Jennifer Schatzle
Photo by LARA McKINLEY

Dr. Sue Gillett, convenor of the academic conference, also loves singing.

The bus stops at the Bendigo
Pottery where we sang to the potter
Photo by LARA McKINLEY

Listening at a workshop at the Gorgeous Voices Festival 2004
Photo by LARA McKINLEY
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The GORGEOUS VOICES FESTIVAL
Celebrating Song
October 24 - 26, 2008
Kavisha Mazzella is a long-time supporter of this Festival, celebrating the gorgeous voices of women. Photo by LARA McKINLEY
2008 Festival Program - NOT AVAILABLE YET
LAST FESTIVAL PROGRAM - 2006
2006 GORGEOUS VOICES CHOIR - conducted by Christine Sass.
This short term women’s choir put together a fantastic program for the Commonwealth Games Art Festival in Bendigo.
To read more about it go to Choir of the Moment
The Gorgeous Voices Festival is for those who love to sing:
- Part Conference: sharing songs and stories, meeting new singers and sharing resources;
- Part Workshop: learning new skills & coming up with new ideas;
- Part Performance: performing to each other and to the community & singing together
SEPTEMBER 8th - 10th
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
- BREAKING OUT OF OUR SHELLS program - 14 new songs for the Festival will be exchanged between choirs. SOME OF OUR ARTISTS
- GORGEOUS WORKSHOPS - singers learn about musicianship, technology, stagecraft, singing in other languages
SOME WORKSHOP DETAILS
- GORGEOUS VOICES CHOIR - the festival's massed choir
- GORGEOUS VOICES CONCERT - professional performers and experienced choirs perform at the Capital on stage
- SATURDAY NIGHT GORGEOUS GUESTS 3 - local hotels offer up some fabulous music and singing on Saturday night
SUNDAY
- SINGING IN QUIRKY SPACES - The Chinese Gardens with Cocoís Lunch; underground at the Central Deborah Goldmine with Anni Coyne; on a double-decker bus tour with Kelly Auty or at Marlborough House, singing arias with Dame Nellie Melba (aka Jennifer Schatzle).
- BREAKING OUT OF OUR SHELLS - the BIG ukulele & harmony workshop run by Carolyn Connors with Rose Turtle Ertler. Bring your own ukulele or purchase one on the day (let us know beforehand via email). Arrive at 9am for the very important tuning of instruments.
- SING TO EACH OTHER CONCERT - everyone has a chance to perform at the Bendigo Town Hall. It's our big sing!
ACADEMIC CONFERENCE:
MUSIC, COMMUNITY, JUSTICE A one-day conference hosted by La Trobe University in association with the Gorgeous Voices Festival
Convenor: Dr. Sue Gillett
Visual Arts Building, View Street, Bendigo
9.00am - Keynote Address:
"Taking it to the streets"
9.30am - Panel 1
Social Welfare, Health and Harmony
Speakers include: Faye White (Community Music Victoria) and Dave Pugh (St. Lukeís)
11.30am - Panel 2
Advocating refugee rhythms
Speakers include: Dr. Sue Gillett (LaTrobe University)
2.00pm - Panel 3
Womenís community and music
Speakers include: Christine Sass (Gorgeous Voices Festival)
4.00pm - Panel 4
Cross-cultural music encounters
Speakers include: Gerry Gill (LaTrobe University) and Kavisha Mazzella (Gorgeous Voices Festival)
6.30pm - Dinner at the Capital;
Theatrical Performance of "Difficult Women"
Further details can be found by downloading this flyer. (.doc)
DIFFICULT WOMEN:
DIFFICULT WOMEN is a unique literary-folk concert that combines the spoken word, theatrical vignettes of women artists such as VIRGINIA WOOLF, FRIDA KAHLO, VIV ELLIOT, CAMILLE CLAUDEL, MEMPHIS MINNIE, SYLVIA PLATH, and many others, with folk songs, blues and humour, and close two-part harmony singing.
Performed by Lin Van Hek, with guest artists Penelope Swales, we are very excited to be opening our weekend Gorgeous Voices Festival program at The Capital with this moving and entertaining show.
Tickets for this will be on sale in August. Dinner and show costs $55.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
SATURDAY MORNING
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WORKSHOP #4 Saturday 9th September 10am ñ 12noon
FAY WHITE ñ NEW SONGS FROM CENTRAL VICTORIA Men, women & children welcome
New songs written for mixed voices by Central Victoria women Josephine Bodno and Anelie Joy. Both have been writing songs for some time and although neither has been published widely, their songs are being sung and enjoyed by local groups. Both writers deserve a wider audience and both are chuffed to be involved in this project.
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WORKSHOP #7 Saturday 9th September 10am ñ 12noon
POLLY CHRISTIE - MUSICIANSHIP FOR SINGERS
De-mystifying the dots, understanding rhythm, intervals and other such musical skills that will assist you in your singing and listening. Polly Christie will run a workshop that even the novice singer can understand but where the experienced choral singer will also pick up a hint or two.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
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WORKSHOP #4 Saturday 9th September 3pm ñ 5pm
FREYDI MROCKI - THE ROLE OF MUSIC AND SONG FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE IN THE LIVES OF ASHKANEZI JEWS
Freydi Mrocki is a highly regarded Yiddish perfomer and member of well known group Klezmania.
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WORKSHOP #7 Saturday 9th September 3pm ñ 5pm
POLLY CHRISTIE - LEARNING TO SING IN HARMONY
If you are unsure about holding your own part when harmonising with other singers, this workshop is for you. Skilled conductor Polly Christie will guide you in improving this skill by using various techniques to help build vocal confidence and knowledge about harmony.
GORGEOUS VOICES CONCERT
Saturday 9th September 5.30pm ñ 7pm The Capital Theatre, View St, Bendigo
Many of our guest artists & choirs will be performing a couple of songs for festival participants, on stage, at The Capital. They include Cocosí Lunch, Kavisha Mazzella and Kelly Auty.
SUNDAY
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WORKSHOP #3 Sunday10th September 9.30am ñ 12noon
ANNI M. COYNE - SINGING IN QUIRKY SPACES ñ CENTRAL DEBORAH GOLDMINE Underground Function RoomMining for songs... an exploration of songs about excavation, digging deep for treasures of all kinds
A workshop looking at songs around the kind of mining common to Bendigo historically & many other places world-wide, & also exploring the metaphorical digging & extraction of what makes us what we are & what we could be, a journey which takes a great deal of courage, effort, patience, time & commitment parallel to that of physical mining. This workshop will include some elements of song creation & group co-operative song development, harmony, layering & playing with timing & feel... Who knows what we we might dig up!
SUNDAY
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WORKSHOP #4 Sunday10th September 9.00am ñ 12noon
DAME NELLIE MELBA aka JENNIFER SCHATZLE with friends - SINGING IN QUIRKY SPACES ñ MARLBOROUGH HOUSE
http://www.marlboroughhouse.com.au/marlboroughhouse/index.html
Dame Nellie Melba used to stay at Marlborough House because she was great friends with the original owner, John Crowley. Jennifer Schatzle returns to the Gorgeous Voices Festival in character, costume and voice as the great Dame Nellie. She really is quite incredible, as 2004 festival participants remarked. This time there will be a guest opera singer so that you can hear those beautiful harmonies. Come and have high tea with Dame Nellie and friend and join in with the singing.
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