Town choir to sing with city company

REHEARSALS for Ballarat’s oldest community choir have been reaching full voice in preparation for a mid-year concert led by Victorian Opera.

Readying for the company’s The Big Sing performance in June, members of the Ballarat Choral Society had their second of six practice sessions with VO artistic director Richard Mills recently.

BCS’s acting president Ruth Sprague said the event will be an important one for the group’s more than 40 participating members.

“We’ve been very excited. We started about three weeks ago on our own and our first practice with Richard was last Saturday,” she said.

“The pieces have been selected to suit our choir and Richard’s done a great job at selecting pieces we can learn in a relatively short space of time.

“VO are hoping it will be on an annual basis hopefully even around Begonia Festival time, so this is the first opportunity.”

BCS’ performance will entail six choruses with accompaniment provided by the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra.

Rehearsals have been taking place on Saturdays and Sundays with Victorian Opera at Loreto College’s Abbey Theatre with the Ballarat Choral Society’s additional sessions happening each Wednesday at Buninyong’s Masonic Hall.

Mills said their collaboration showcases VO’s commitment to Ballarat.

“You can’t make art in a vacuum and the last thing we want is a professional company from Melbourne coming up and throwing their weight around in Ballarat,” he said.

“We want to work for and with this community to make something meaningful. In the following years in 2024 and 2025 we’ll do a mainstage work at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

“In the interim, there’ll be always in the Ballarat Opera Festival a vehicle for community participation.”

BCS musical director Helen Duggan is conducting their Wednesday rehearsals, and said there’s been a good dynamic between hers and Mills’ rehearsal offerings.

“We’re learning the notes quite quickly and it’s about getting the sound and the style right,” she said.

“I’m a singer so I can really help with the vocal production and Richard’s dynamite on the operatic and expressive aspect so we’re lucky we’ve got him because it’ll be a really good experience for us.”

The Big Sing performance is set to take place at Civic Hall on Sunday, 11 June.

Ballarat Choral Society members will collaborate with Victorian Opera for a Mother’s Day Soiree in May with funds going towards the Ballarat Arts Foundation.