THE GISBORNE SINGERS

 In 1980, a small madrigal group began rehearsing with founder, Barry Firth, in a Gisborne lounge room.  Now called The Gisborne Singers, the choir has been presenting concerts in the Macedon Ranges and beyond ever since.  It now numbers sixty voices. Most of the growth has occurred since 2008, when Stephen Brockman became Musical Director.  Two major works and an informal Cabaret are presented each year. The Choir also performs at regular community events and they visit nursing homes for carol singing in December. The Choir’s repertoire includes major works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bruckner and Fauré, and extends to folk songs, musicals, opera choruses and contemporary songs. In January 2017, some of the choir travelled to New York to perform with Distinguished Concerts International New York in the North American premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’, Cantata Memoria, at Carnegie Hall.  In May 2018 the Choir presented the Australian Premiere of this same work. 

Stephen Brockman   Musical Director

Stephen Brockman studied flute at the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music before beginning a career in engineering in Geelong. In 1974 he moved to Sydney where he played with the NSW Police Military Band and then with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. In 1979 he was appointed Principal Flute with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO). He has appeared as soloist with the QPO and the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 1990s he was Musical Director of the Hong Kong Singers, conducting operettas and musicals. He also played Principal Flute in the HK Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Lugard Wind Quintet. Stephen has been Musical Director of the Gisborne Singers since 2008 and has directed performances including Mozart’s Requiem, Bruckner’s Te Deum, Handel’s Messiah, The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins, and Brahms’ Requiem. In 2015 he received the Macedon Ranges Arts Ambassador award in the Australia Day Honours List.

Alan Grinton   Accompanist

Alan graduated from Monash University with an Honours degree in Music. Having studied piano with Donald Thornton, he undertook various musical roles, including that of the Liedertafel Arion accompanist under Fred Ziegler and pianist with The Shepparton Trio. Since that time he has had considerable experience accompanying singers and instrumentalists in classical and modern repertoire on piano, organ and harpsichord. Alan has enjoyed a lifetime of school and community musical productions and church choirs while variously working as a Victorian secondary schools music consultant and teacher, computer science lecturer, and Victorian TAFE information systems manager. Alan has been a wonderful adjunct to The Gisborne Singers since 2009 and has acted on several occasions as Musical Director. His ability to accompany in a wide variety of styles and genres is truly amazing and the Choir values his contribution enormously!

KERANG MUSIC SOCIETY CHOIR

KERANG MUSIC SOCIETY CHOIR

The Choir of the Kerang Music Society has been in operation for over 50 years, and although the parent organisation has gradually faded from the scene, the choir has continued to provide a musical focus for Kerang and district residents. While the styles of music have changed over the decades, the enthusiasm and dedication have remained. We sing works ranging from Renaissance polyphony to choral works written for the American college students, from Mozart to pop songs. The choir has no audition for entry, and the only requirement is a weekly contribution and a passion for singing. The choir hosts one or two concerts each year and sings for other church and community events.

TERRY CARTER Musical Director

Terry Carter now retired was a Maths and Chemistry teacher by main profession, but has a hearty interest in all aspects of music. He completed a B Mus at the University of Melbourne in 1979, studying with Ronald Farren Price, and has, since then, been heavily involved in teaching piano, accompanying performers and students, performing in solo recitals and in conducting choral groups. For most of the last 30 years he has been the musical director of the choir of the Kerang Music Society.

CHIAKI GREEN Accompanist

Chiaki Green started playing the Piano at the age of four and Graduated from Osaka College of Music, Japan in 2011. After graduating she went to Zimbabwe and taught music at The Zimbabwe College of Music and Girls High School in Harare for two years. During that time, she had a recital at the Harare International Festival of Arts 2013 and also performed Piano concerto with Harare Chamber Orchestra. She performed at several concerts in Harare Zimbabwe as well as in Kumamoto, Japan her hometown. Recently she held a Piano Recital at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery. She moved to Australia in 2016 and moved to Swan Hill in 2017.