Choral festival celebrates joy of song

THE Tongan Children’s Choir is among an impressive and diverse line-up of singing groups participating in Ballarat’s Choral Festival next Sunday.

Set for 1.30pm on July 27 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, the festival encourages established and emerging choirs to embrace the joys of choral music with audience members welcome to attend free of charge.

The long-running annual festival is hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and is now in its 27th year.

“It’s a public opportunity for our church to be seen out in the community,” festival organiser and event emcee, Margaret Ellis said.

“My aim is to make it as open as possible. We’ve got a wonderful spectrum of choirs. It’s something that is uplifting.”

This year’s program will feature performances from 12 different choirs including Ballarat Choral Society, BCMA Choir, Ballarat Voices, The Ballarat Singers, Cantate Domino, LDS Deer Park Stake, Tongan Children’s Choir, LDS Ballarat Ward Choir, St Pat’s Cathedral Choir, U3A Chorale, VOX, With One Voice, and FedUni Word of Mouth.

Pieces on the program range from traditional folk songs to well-known numbers by Lennon and McCartney, Schubert and ABBA.

Choir members range from children and local uni students to adults of all ages, and from amateur vocalists to professional singers with some of the lyrics sung in other languages.

“It’s a lovely mix with everybody offering their love of music,” said Ms Ellis who sings with both the U3A Chorale and also with the LDS Ballarat Ward choir.

Ms Ellis said a program highlight is when all of the choirs come together in one big combined celebratory finale.

“It’s a wonderful way of wrapping up,” she said.

“We love coming up and combining in a piece that we have all learned quite separately. Each year the piece that we sing together is chosen by a different participating choir. This year it’s the Ballarat Choral Society.”