2018 09 September ARTEFACT single Page Print res
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Sweet Mona’s Choir, based in Ballarat, Australia, is one of Victoria’s<br />
leading, and longest running, gospel and world music choirs.<br />
The choir was born organically in mid-nineties, when an enterprising<br />
teacher used choral singing as an innovative way to teach voice skills in<br />
a performing arts course. Sweet Mona’s has evolved over time, with the<br />
complexity and variety of arrangements increasing as the choir reached a<br />
professional standard that surpassed its original purpose.<br />
Sweet Mona’s Choir focuses on a Capella and rhythm and performs a<br />
broad range of contemporary, world and gospel music, including music<br />
from the Staple Singers and the Golden Gate Quartet. Expertly directed<br />
by multi-instrumentalist, renowned percussionist and vocalist Stella Savy<br />
(Los Locos, Ballarat Ska Union), their sound ranges from a rich, deep<br />
<strong>res</strong>onance to a lively, energetic tone, to haunting melodies that stay with<br />
you long after the performance is over. Sweet Mona’s Choir are also<br />
famous for their world-class arrangements, created by Barry Deenick<br />
(Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Bustamento), Stella Savy and more. The<br />
choir has also been privileged to work with some of the best musicians<br />
on the Australian and international music scene, including Venetta Fields,<br />
Mal Webb, Tony Backhouse, Hugh Masekela, Valanga Khoza, Andrea<br />
Khoza and Vika & Linda Bull. Sweet Monaís Choir has performed at<br />
a huge range of venues including music festivals from Apollo Bay to<br />
Brunswick, from churches, weddings and community events to Federation<br />
Square in the heart of Melbourne.<br />
Comprising 30-40 singers, from a diverse range of backgrounds and<br />
ages, countless people from the community have enjoyed, and benefited<br />
from, performing with the choir over the past 20 odd years. Each member<br />
offers something different to the choir, keeping Sweet Mona’s Choir a<br />
colourful and lively human music machine!<br />
AUDITION<br />
Want to audition? Read on<br />
Places in the choir are very limited. When we audition, we are looking for<br />
a combination of factors- the ability to hold and match pitches, blending<br />
and balancing your voice with others, the ability to clap and step in time<br />
and the ability to be a proactive member of a group.<br />
Please note: Rehearsal is held Tuesday nights (in Ballarat) 7-9pm during<br />
school terms and is mandatory. Choir members are expected to be<br />
available for gigs throughout the year.<br />
*Don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear from us for a long time, we usually<br />
only hold auditions once a year!<br />
We will email you when we are holding auditions. Your details will be held<br />
safely in our database!<br />
MINI MONA’S CHOIR<br />
The Mini Mona’s are a community children’s choir who perform a Capella<br />
and accompanied contemporary, world and gospel music. Singing these<br />
styles of music opens avenues of understanding and appreciation of other<br />
culture’s musical styles, languages, attitudes and perspectives. Children<br />
of any age and ability are welcomed and given the opportunity to sing,<br />
create and perform!<br />
Ballarat’s longest-running community choir, BCS has a focus on<br />
classical work with regular explorations of more contemporary works.<br />
Founded over one hundred years ago, BCS maintains a friendly<br />
community feel and a high standard of singing. We are a small choir with<br />
a big sound, a collective of people who are passionately committed to<br />
singing great music, and doing it well. With the support of our talented<br />
Musical Director, Helen Duggan, we are known for our beautiful renditions<br />
of the classics - from Mozart to Beethoven and beyond - and our<br />
exploration of the lighter side of music. Please join us on our vibrant<br />
musical journey, as an audience member, a supporter or a chorister.<br />
@ballaratchoralsociety<br />
info@ballaratchoralsociety.com<br />
http://www.ballaratchoralsociety.com<br />
@sweetmonaschoir<br />
https://sweetmonaschoir.com<br />
Genre: Gospel and world music choir<br />
Band Members<br />
www.myspace.com/sweetmonaschoir<br />
https://sweetmonaschoir.com/<br />
www.facebook.com/sweetmonaschoir<br />
Home Town : Ballarat<br />
About:<br />
Vibrant, harmonically magnificent Sweet Mona’s Choir is a Ballarat based<br />
gospel and world music choir of exceptional quality! For over 20 years,<br />
the ‘Monas’ have continued to delight audiences with their energetic stage<br />
p<strong>res</strong>ence and stunning vocals.<br />
Biography: Born organically in mid-nineties, when an enterprising teacher<br />
used choral singing as an innovative way to teach voice skills in a<br />
performing arts course, Sweet... See more on the website! Booking agent:<br />
Sarah Sainsbury - go to ‘contact us’ at https://sweetmonaschoir.com/<br />
<strong>September</strong> <strong>2018</strong> ARTeFACT Newsletter<br />
53