Classic Christmas carols return to the cathedral
THE Royal Melbourne Philharmonic will present three Christmas concerts in St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, one of the most acoustically perfect spaces in Australia. The...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 4 December
To the thief: possession is nine-tenths of the law, but what about the victim. What are their rights?
THE annals of history are...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 27 November
In 2022, few are inclined to believe King Charles III was ordained by God to rule over his peoples. The Divine Right...
Notions of political loyalty
“Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous,” Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
IT...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 20 November
From the grave I can hear my late mother, Beria, saying, “And about bloody time, too. What they did to us kids...
The great Australian myth…
THE 1950s were a phantasmagoria of opportunity under an endless, azure sky. Awash in the victory of the Second World War, Australians were looking to...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 13 November
It is difficult to understand why a company providing you with a telephone line - albeit mobile - requires so much personal information. IN the...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 6 November
It is sheer madness for a country which is bathed in such brilliant, endless sunshine, and vast, azure skies, to implement daylight saving. It...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 30 October
Of the mass media triumvirate, radio is the most intimate, and, possibly, the most rewarding in terms of immediate audience reaction. THAT was before our...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 23 October
Recently, I spent time exploring photographs on the website of Lost Melbourne. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking to see what has been lost...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 16 October
Since when did it become de rigueur for a politician’s ‘no’ to carry more weight than a constituent’s ‘yes’?
OUR system of government...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 9 October
The ratings results for the funeral of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth speaks volumes about the state of Australian television, specifically the...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 25 September
As a child, I was something a crack shot with a .22 rifle fitted with a telescopic lens. Now that I am...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 11 September
It is not difficult to behave badly. It requires no effort, at all. The challenge lies in not behaving badly.
I RECALL someone...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 4 September
Providing a definition for acting is impossible. It is too ephemeral; however, I do know the difference between acting and performing.
I RECALL...What is the Question – September
For September’s What is the Question, Roland chats with former diplomat and State Member of parliament, Roger Pescott. What is your name? Roger Pescott. What is your...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 28 August
The hypocrisy of the furore struck me like a thunder bolt. It left me rocking on my heels.
The revelations former Prime Minister,...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 21 August
The public reaction to the death of musician Judith Durham reflects the place she occupied in the hearts of her many fans...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 14 August
Anyone who came to visit my late mother, Beria, never left empty handed. Always, she gave them a bottle of her homemade...
Little Women ready to bring it
THERE is something spine-tinglingly thrilling about watching emerging talent blossom on the floor of a rehearsal room. It is even more agreeable when the performers...
Rent ready to take the stage
BLOC Music Theatre is playing at Ballarat’s new performing space, Terminus Theatre, with a production of the musical, Rent. Located in the renovated Good Shed...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 7 August
Discrimination in any of its hateful embodiments is unacceptable, and should be denounced, unequivocally.
HOWEVER, we should not be without tolerance for the...What is the Question – August
For August’s What is the Question Roland sat down to talk with head of the Ballarat Foundation, Andrew Eales.
What is your name? Andrew...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 31 July
The on-going roadworks in Albert Street, Sebastopol, are a disgrace - by any reasonable standard of public works.
THEY are, as the...