What a great concert it was! Perth Discovery Choir’s 30th anniversary event had two guest choirs, two guest conductors, another former PDC conductor who didn’t conduct but played flute and piano (not at the same time!), and a wonderful bass-baritone soloist. Oh, and a sell-out standing-room-only audience. 3pm last Saturday, 10th August 2019.

PDC and Musical Director Louise Bell

MDJ conducting Beside the Foyle

It was a great pleasure and a privilege to conduct my Beside the Foyle. The tune is familiar as Londonderry Air or Danny Boy but this year I’ve radically changed the words and I’m glad to say I’ve had many compliments for it (this was the world premiere of these new lyrics). Perth Discovery Choir sang my first arrangement of this melody when I founded the choir 30 years ago in the Claremont Town Hall. Choir member Alan Hope sang it that year and got to sing it again on the weekend after he re-joined the choir recently.

MDJ talking about Beside the Foyle

All involved in the concert should give themselves a big pat on the back, but particularly the current musical director Louise Bell, and the secretary, Roger Munt. Louise is a musical powerhouse. This wonderful singer and conductor teaches music at Mazenod College and lectures in music education at ECU, in between leading both PDC and No Rechoirments. Talk about busy! PDC is so fortunate to have an educationalist like her who continually improves the members’ skills.

Roger Munt, PDC’s tireless secretary

Roger keeps himself very busy as secretary of the PDC committee and has very recently retired from part time lecturing in engineering at UWA. I’m so impressed at his dedication to the role; there is no doubt the anniversary concert could not have happened without his foresight and enthusiasm, along with his very helpful committee.

Bronwen Herholdt (cond.), Esther Arthur (piano), Louise Bell (solo soprano)

Louise’s conducting load was lightened a little by Bronwen Herholdt, a versatile musician who conducted a choral item in which Louise sang a solo. Esther Arthur, the choir’s regular piano accompanist, has a very sure sense of rhythm which was especially evident in the choral selection from Les Misérables.

Bronwen acknowledging Louise’s solo

Sold out

Note that, despite now using Dalkeith Road Church of Christ in Nedlands, the choir is not a religious choir. Though some members are church goers the group is a community choir and is not affiliated with any church. It’s a great shame that so many people associate choirs with singing angels, but also understandable when you consider that 1) a lot of the best choral music is sacred, and 2) many community choirs use church venues. One day I was recommending my local choir (the Hills Choir, in Mundaring) to a friend up here and they said “Oh, you mean the church choir.” Er, no, it’s not a ‘church choir,’ like PDC they just hire the premises, and so do I for my solo piano recitals and my students’ performance practice concerts even though I’m an atheist. It’s simply that they are good venues.

Standing room only

I’d lost all contact with the choir after the 10th anniversary and had no idea if they still existed until about two years ago. But here they are, pulling in the crowds.

Choir concerts like this are a great benefit to the community. The packed crowd had a great time and even got to do a sing-along with clapping. The fact that singers and audiences alike are all getting older is irrelevant. Singing is good for you, and it feels good, too.

Naomi Millett

Another person there on Saturday from PDC’s very first year was Naomi Millett, who came in from the wheatbelt to be in the audience. Naomi, like any Bachelor of Music student, played a little piano and was our accompanist for many weeks in 1989. She went on to become a marvellous classical guitar, mandola and mandolin player, and long-time radio presenter for RTR FM.

Also sitting it out was Hazel Potts, the PDC accompanist from 2003 to 2007. (Sorry, there was no photo taken.)

Phil Robertson describing how he overcame stroke to get his piano skills back

I’m not going to do a piece-by-piece review of the event but I must mention two soloists who made time stand still. A young Jake Bigwood, bass-baritone, sang Stars (from Les Misérables) and Ol’ Man River (from Showboat), both quite outstanding. He’s now off to London for further study (sorry, I didn’t get a photo). Phil Robertson, a former PDC conductor, overcame a stroke two years ago to give us a wonderful rendition of a Siciliene by JS Bach, arranged for piano by Alfred Cortot. Phil also added a nice touch to Sunrise, Sunset (from Fiddler on the Roof) with his lovely flute playing.

Phil Robertson playing Bach arr. Cortot

Phil was PDC’s musical director for many years starting in mid-1995 when he was head of music at Scotch College.

No Rechoirments

The guest choirs were No Rechoirments, led by Louise, and Starlight Hotel Choir, led by accomplished musicians Dave Johnson and Peter Anthony. Both of these groups made a major and wonderful contribution to the event. The sheer joy of their singing was infectious and PDC greatly enjoyed singing with them.

Starlight Hotel Choir, led on guitar by Dave Johnson (left) and Peter Anthony (right).

Starlight Hotel Choir

Sue Clarke, MC

Last but not least I can’t get away without mentioning the wonderful Master of Ceremonies, Sue Clarke, who got it all to flow smoothly, and Concert Organiser Tony Fanowrios, who dealt admirably with the logistics on the day. Publicity Officer Sally House produced a full house (no pun intended).

The success of the event was wrought by a big team including many people I don’t know (especially in the other choirs). Many thanks are due to the Front-of-House and refreshment people who also did a great job and were kept busy. These included Adrian, Lynda Moir, Russell Cockram, Denise, and Marilyn.

Stevie Braun made 40 short hand-held video clips totalling 40 minutes which includes a lot of behind the scenes material and mini-interviews. This will be available to choir members on USB as a memento descriptively, if not evocatively, titled All Footage, Warts and All, Nothing Cut. Phil Robertson had a camera set up on a tripod and should also have some video.

You can read more about Perth Discovery Choir at www.mixmargaret.com/PDC, including lots of text from early newsletters.

Many thanks to Roger for some details and suggestions used in this blog. At some point I’ll make more blog posts with the concert’s printed programme and the scans of pics etc from 1989 through to 1999 which were displayed at the concert including a couple of first place certificates the choir won at competitions.

Please feel free to make comments below, and please tell me if I’ve forgotten more people than I’ve remembered I’ve forgotten (you know what I mean). I want to include everyone who played a special role for the sake of a historical record. All photos above are screen shots from Stevie Braun’s video.

The USB. Use a right-click to enlarge or open in a new tab or window.

Screen screen print of the top level of the USB. Anyone in the choir can ask Roger for a copy. The folder with the purple dot has the videos and pics.