The MCCHOIR Empire is about to break new ground on our Carlton campus in 2018 which will give busy people who work in and around the city an opportunity to release their creative potential. The new Campus will rehearse at the Kathleen Syme library and Community Centre in Carlton on a Monday night at the earlier time of 6.45PM.


A $15.5 million restoration has transformed the 1870s Kathleen Syme building in into the area’s newest creative, learning and community space. The building is home to some great community activity spaces, Wild Timor Cafe and also equiped with its own recording studio. Behind the stunning Victorian-era facade is a modern welcoming and accessible centre where the choir will be able to connect, learn and create.

Members of the new Carlton Campus will also have the opportunity to join the Macleod Campus and MCYOUTH to be involved in our 2018 Studio Recording Sessions.  We will be tracking at the beautifully appointed state of the art Oaklands Productions Studio A. This is the main tracking space and is purpose designed for recording large ensembles. The kitchen and lounge areas will make for a fun and relaxing experience and produce a product that is world-class. The studio also has a permanent video lighting set-up, a boom crane jib and green screen for video compositing. This will be great for our music video planned.

The Recording Project is already underway with backing tracks for three original tunes now ready to go. On two of the tunes “Friends" and "Others" we have 24 piece string section. Already the tracks are sounding amazing and we have guest artist Rod Davies coming into the studio shortly who will feature on one of the songs.

​At MCCHOIR we’re all about re-connecting people with their Creative Best - in fact MCCHOIR members tell us that they leave rehearsal and events on a "musical high”. All those tired, worn out after work feelings, are soon replaced with fun times and a sense of achievement when we create musical experiences together that are influencing audiences across Melbourne and now around the globe. With all of these great options - MON 6.30PM in Carlton from 2018, THUR 7.30PM in Macleod and THUR 6.30PM for teenagers interested in MCYOUTH, there’s never been a better time to claim your first free try-out session with MCC and check out the choir behind the scenes. We’re so sure that you’ll just love it, meeting new friendly people who will actually talk to you and involve you in their conversation. People who share a passion for singing and have formed such a great bond. From day one we have always welcomed new members at any time throughout the year and I think this is key to the culture we have nurtured. There are no exclusive groups - you’ll find a place to belong and people that genuinely care about you as a person outside of rehearsal time. If you want to know more about what to expect at a first session with MCCHOIR check out our frequently asked question page.

Just this week some of our members participated in the MCG Boxing Day Cricket match as part of the Barbie Army, a collaboration between sporting satirist Denis Carnahan, Mastercard and Cricket Australia. It was heaps of fun joining with competition winners, cheering on the Australian Cricketers. This is just one of the many opportunities open to our members. Free tickets to the Cricket on both days, Prepaid Mastercard vouchers for food and fun times - what more could you ask for?

Jason Simmonds
Creative Director
​Melbourne Contemporary Choir

MCCHOIR may be in recess for the Spring School Holidays but it's all systems go on the back of our very successful live concert to a packed audience - it was a spectacular show featuring some great music. Some of our guests made a point of mentioning that our soloists from the choir were exceptional and without sounding biased, I think our soloists this year really raised the bar in terms of musical performance and their stage presence.

The show was recorded in multitrack digital and is now in the hands of producer Jared Haschek and Mix Engineer Phil Threlfall from the Base Recording Studio, South Melbourne - to mix down our first ever live album of popular songs and original tunes entitled "Watch me Fly". You're just going to be thrilled to re-live all the magic of that electrifying event including three original songs. One showstopper was the inspired new song by Jared, Jason and Melody entitled "Others" featuring the ridiculously talented Rod Davies.

The Base Recording Studios, Melbourne, Australia

Look out for the album expected to be released later this year in time for Christmas featuring songs made popular by artists like Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, FRANCES, Cold Play and Survivor to name a few.

Speaking of Christmas, MCCHOIR is delighted to be invited back by the City of Manningham to perform at the annual Carols by Candelight again this year at Ruffey Park Friday Dec 15, 6-10PM. Last year was an amazing experience - performing in front of 10,000 carolers. This year is set to be bigger and better with new repertoire as well as some old favourites. It was a joy working with Musical Director Michael Thompson and the band last year and the choir is really looking forward to seeing the year out with a bang (literally - the fireworks are amazing).

MCCHOIR will celebrate the festive season at Manningham Carols by Candlelight with traditional carols and musical entertainment for the whole family. You can enjoy this family festival with free children’s activities, stage entertainment with a special visit from Santa and the grand finale fireworks display.

The MCC can offer you one better however - as you can experience all of the festive celebrations right on the stage as part of the MCCHRISTMASCHOIR!

Just click on the Elf Panda below to register your interest in joining the Christmas choir and join in all of the festive celebrations from this very unique viewpoint.

Jason Simmonds
Creative Director
Melbourne Contemporary Choir

Here's what one of our guests wrote:
“I was invited by a friend [and took] a lot of pleasure listening to your choir performing tonight. Enjoyed the clever muso’s doing their thing.
And great seeing the young members doing their stuff centre stage.
Highlight – Bohemian Rhapsody. Aah beautiful.”
- Andrew Thompson (Surrey Hills)

​Our MC for the night pointed out that you won’t see a program at an MCC concert detailing every song the group will perform and that’s because you should always expect the unexpected at one of our MCC events. For example a piece by one of the UK’s emerging artists, FRANCES entitled “Don’t Worry About Me” featured soloists Jane Wigill and Susan Hische. In my opinion these were some of the purest and sweetest vocals I have heard bar none and you could tell that the whole choir really identified with the song. The verses were like spreading a layer of pure white icing on a cake – it was a georgeous moment.

Right from the outset, original tunes have been a significant part of the MCC repertoire and the concert was no exception. The choir performed three original tunes co-written by creative Director Jason Simmonds and Jared Haschek with help from Melody Crystal on one of the songs. Rod Davies helped us out with one tune called “Others” inspired by a Christmas greeting the co-founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth sent in the 1900’s.

​Throughout the night the MCYOUTH choir, a new breed of choir, featured. These young people hit the stage, some who have only been with the group for a few weeks were already performing solo’s like they were seasoned performers. My favourite was MCYOUTH’s version of Ed Sheerans “Photograph”. We’re so excited about the potential of this group and encourage your youth to check out MCYOUTH on a Thursday night in Macleod during school terms.

​Before intermission the concert title song “Watch Me Fly” had the crowd captivated. As the song built to a climax, the audience were surrounded by two huge orange flying bird puppets which soared above the audience. My dad was one of the puppeteers and he was having so much fun, floating his bird over the crowd. 

During the break our guest generously purchased boutique  cupcakes which we used to raise money for the Salvation Army’s “Making it Happen Project”. This very focused project aims to restore a women's hostel in Bandung Indonesia and we raised over $500 on the night. Someone paid $48 for their cupcake which was very generous. Together with another concert MCC participated in earlier this year, we have helped raise over $2,000 for the project - so a big thanks to our guests.

​The choir showed the crowd how to let loose and get their groove on, with the Jackon 5 number “Blame it on the Boogie” The pumping horn section on the night certainly helped us get in the mood and feature soloist Ange, strutted her stuff on stage at the end during the break down.

​The night flew with so many great moments, our guests were not disappointed and the choir was able to demonstrate their vocal diversity across a number of contemporary genres. Our guest artist for the night, Rod Davies who’s performed with the likes of John Farham, Olivia Newton John, and Chong Lim in 13 seasons of the hit TV show “Dancing With The Stars” had an interesting connection with the venue – The Moreland City Salvation Army. He told the audience that it was at the Moreland salvos that he sang his first public solo and it was at that moment that he knew this was what he wanted to do with his life. He wowed the audience with the classic Stevie Wonder tune “I wish” and the Maroon 5 hit, “Sunday Morning”.

At MCCHOIR Jason is develop creative stimulation, and connecting people with shared musical experiences which builds community. The group has grown and developed in these early days and each concert experience is becoming more elaborate and engaging for our audiences. Our audience is who we perform for but I think each member gets just as much of a buzz belonging to the group and performing at live events like this.

If you’re interested in exploring group singing in an environment where your individual vocal abilities will be nurtured and developed then we’d encourage you to visit our website www.mcchoir.com and register your interest for a first free session with the choir. It requires a bit of bravery to step out of your comfort zone and make that first step, but trust me, the people you will meet, the fun times and performance opportunities will be well worth it.

Jason Simmonds
Creative Director
Melbourne Contemporary Choir

​July has been a marathon month literally for the choir, with performances at two charity events: “Run Melbourne 2017” and The Salvation Army’s “Mission + Music” concert raising funds for the ‘Making it Happen’ project in Indonesia – supporting a women’s Hostel. We shared the stage with two brass bands and The Preston Kids and Youth Choir at the Salvation Army Moreland City. On the day over $1,500 was raised to help vulnerable women in Indonesia and choir members sold hand made cards and preserves to raise some extra money towards the project. It was awesome to hear the Frankston City Band and Moreland Salvation Army bands play and enjoy their skills and commitment. Budding singers in the Preston Youth Choir performed with energy and joined us in our final number, “Can’t Stop the feeling” made famous by Justin Timberlake. We were delighted to debut our original song “Others” with the brass band accompaniment, arranged especially for the concert by Brian Hogg, that enhanced the musical vision of Jase, Jared and Melody. The song speaks about reaching others outside of our insular world and making a difference together.

Here’s what our MCCHOIR members are saying:
“I keep reflecting on the smiling people in the energised audience on Sunday - they seemed to love what they were witnessing.”
“It’s amazing bringing together family and friends to share love of music.

​In partnership with Lululemon Athletica, Doncaster Store, MCCHOIR provided entertainment on the course for the Run Melbourne event on Sunday July 30. It was an early start and with over 20.000 athletes running past, we certainly had a diverse and appreciative audience. We were positioned strategically at the half way point of the marathon and gave the runners a much needed boost to tackle the next leg. There were some fine interpretive dance moves, high fives, fist pumping and singing along by the runners that kept us entertained as we sang our repertoire of contemporary songs. People loved hearing ‘Eye of the Tiger’, ‘Blame it on the Boogie’ and ‘Overcomer’ to name a few. Whilst we were singing the refrain of Blame it on the Boogie ‘Sunshine, moonlight …’ the sun began to shine into our marquee and then Ange took to the stage with some impromptu ad libbing to encourage the runners. We have had some great feedback already and social media went into melt down with all the positive comments from runners who enjoyed our performance. Our friends at Light and Sound Solutions Craigeburn were there to make sure we sounded amazing. Check out our facebook page for a live video of one of the songs. The crowd were going bananas for the show and Lululemon kept us supplied with plenty of bananas to keep us going as well.

Here’s what our MCCHOIR members are saying:
“We can show others how music unites people regardless of where they come from, what they do or who they are.”
“Being part of the choir gives us the chance to see what a group of people can share and achieve together.

​Now it is all systems go as we are busy preparing for our spring concert spectacular. Each time we perform, audiences leave buzzing about what a great time they had. The music is catchy and the songs are current the sort of tunes you can sing along to. The momentum is certainly building as we inch closer to the “Watch Me Fly” concert on Saturday 16 September 7PM. The concert will feature performances from the adult choir and the newly established MCYOUTH choir backed by a live nine piece band and horn section under the direction of Jared Haschek.

In the lead up to the concert we have a Vocal Masterclass on August 24 with guest composer, arranger, conductor and vocalist Daniel Brinsmead which promises to be a great night and we’ll be working on some of our set list for the concert. ​

Our guest artist for the evening, Rod Davies, is a seasoned vocalist who has backed John Farnham, performed on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and the Carols by Candlelight as well as recently taking up a lead teaching role at Monash University at the Sir Zelman School of Music. We’ve got lots of surprises planned and it promises to be an electric evening of entertainment for the whole family. Get your tickets from Eventbrite to secure your spot today and avoid disappointment.

Here’s what our MCCHOIR members are saying:
“We engage, encourage and inspire at weekly MCCHOIR sessions and at every performance.”
“Creating something bigger than yourself, bigger than one person alone can achieve really underpins what MCCHOIR is all about.”

See you at the show.

Guest Blogger
Lynne Mattheson
(MCCHOIR ALTO)

At Melbourne Contemporary Choir (MCCHOIR) we are all about developing our singers so they become confident artists who continually improve their craft and vocal abilities. That’s why we go to great lengths to provide world-class tuition from renown conductors, artists, composers, musicians and singers. Next term we are really excited to welcome back the amazingly talented conductor, musician and educationalist Marten Visser to run a 2 hour Vocal Masterclass. What could be better than that you ask? Well we are opening the session up for any interested vocalists and we’d love for you to be our guest on this exciting night. You can take advantage of our first free session offer which is always available at any of our Thursday night sessions in Macleod.

Marty worked with the choir last year before our concert event and EP launch and is coming back to weave his magic with the group again. Marty is currently the Leader of Performing Arts and Head of Vocal and Choral studies at Wantirna College, Melbourne and Principle Artistic Director of the Choral Institute of Melbourne (CHIME). Marty brings a wealth of knowledge and has a very unique ability to draw the best out of his singers and ensembles. Every rehearsal with Marty is fun and engaging yet relaxed and engaging.

MCCHOIR is gearing up for some great performance opportunities with The Salvation Army Moreland City and partnering with Lululemon, Doncaster at this years Run Melbourne - so it’s a great time to check out the choir and get in on some of these fantastic events. We are also busy preparing for our spring concert event which is already looking to be another electrifying performance with a live band and a very special guest artist.

This year our choir has really run with the theme of #2017GREATER and the series of vocal workshops we have planned till the end of the year are part of that strategy to be the best we can be in terms of our vocal technique and the performances we deliver. The group has also been working on some great new original material which we aim to record in the studio real soon.

So no matter what setting you find yourself singing in whether it’s in a band, choir or just you in the shower – we’d invite you to be a part of this rare opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business. You don’t have to be a virtuoso – singing should be enjoyed and not scary. The great thing about group singing is that your voice blends in with the overall sound and it’s a lot less pressured than singing solo. So be brave, step out of your comfort zone and give group singing a shot – you’ll meet some awesome people, you’ll feel great and have a lot of fun – I guarantee it.

Jason Simmonds
Founder and Creative Director
Melbourne Contemporary Choir

The rides are spinning, there's a queue for fairy floss, and the scones and lemonade are homemade and scrummy - it's school fair time! Melbourne Contemporary Choir's latest gig was at the "Great Lee St Fete", the major fundraising event at North Carlton Primary School.

Throughout the day, different music and dance groups took to the stage - opera, spanish dance, a rock duo and more - culminating in a 30 minute performance by MCCHOIR.

With the temperature well into the 30s, the dress code was a little more relaxed than usual, though sticking with our 'black with bling' theme. Having a colour scheme and some basic basic guidelines works well for us, as opposed to a strict dress code or uniform - choir members choose clothing that suits our varying body shapes AND expresses our individual personalities. If you'd like some style advice, we have some fashionistas in the group, though I confess to not being one of them!

​​Before hitting the stage, it's important to warm up - that's something Jase has drilled into us since my first rehearsal, and this gig was no exception. I wonder what people thought, strolling through the fete, when they came across a strange group of people, making bizarre humming sounds while fighting for a spot in the shade (I did mention it was hot?). I've sung in many settings and groups, of varying levels of professionalism, and it's taken me much longer than it should have, to realise the value of warming up. My range is broader, the high notes come much easier, I think the tone of my voice is that bit richer, and my voice lasts much longer - if I warm up first.
So, we're ready to hit the stage. We line up as the MC does the introductions.

First up is 'Roar'. Three teeny tiny girls, sitting on the floor in front of stage, are immediately with us, singing along, dancing. The more grown up girls - and guys - are soon singing along too. Katy Perry has made this one a hit.

Next up is Halo, a favourite of mine, both in the Beyonce original and the MCCHOIR arrangement. When we first rehearsed the chorus, I confess I wondered if we'd ever get it right; each part seems to do it's own thing, with little help for or from the other parts. Yet with much practice, in rehearsal and singing along at home, it's now automatic: I sing, wait for altos, sing, wait for altos, wait an extra couple of beats for altos & men, high note, etc. I'm lucky enough to get the second verse solo, and it's awesome to sing with complex parts confidently soaring behind and around me.
​

This event marked the public debut of the Melbourne Contemporary Youth Choir. Each of our younger colleagues came along with a full cheer squad, as did a few of the adult choir members - I love the support that we get from family and friends! - Jase welcomes the youth choir to the stage as the adult choir steps back.

Melody and the kids have chosen to sing Hymn for the Weekend - yes, the team have their say about what type of music they'd like to sing. I love the sweetness of the soloist's tone as she sings 'shoot across the sky'. Well done, youth choir, on your debut - we look forward to sharing the stage with you again in September.

Daniel takes the soloist's mic as the adult choir steps forward again. Just Give Me A Reason is about love gone wrong, or at least, from the perspective of one person in the relationship. The other person? 'I'm sorry, I don't understand where all of this is coming from. I thought that we were fine!' P!NK made this song famous... and it's another arrangement that suits MCCHOIR well.

Final song for the gig. Let's do something upbeat, maybe an original tune? It's got to be Time to Shine! Words by Jason Simmonds, music by Jared Haschek, this was the first song written for and recorded by MCCHOIR, available on iTunes to buy now.  This is a song that always gets my toes tapping, and it's good to finish on a positive note.

It's so exciting to be heading into a new year at MCCHOIR and MCYOUTH - I just can't wait to catch up with some familiar faces and also meet some of the new people who have already registered for our kick-off on Thursday night Feb 2nd. This year we will celebrate our second birthday and already we've achieved so much and had a tremendous amount of fun doing it.

Hot off the press I have just been busy collaborating with Jared Haschek on a new original tune called "Watch Me Fly" and I think its our best work yet. With powerful lyrics and an amazing setting this tune is set to become a real favourite. Here's a little taste of the chorus - we are going to have so much fun learning this one at our MCCHOIR sessions and performing it live at our next Concert Spectacular.

If you have never heard of MCCHOIR we are a cutting edge vocal ensemble who aren't ashamed to call ourselves a choir because we really are bringing choir into the 21st century - choir has really changed and you must check it out if you enjoy singing and socialising. With catchy contemporary tunes and opportunities to perform to great crowds as well as be part of our recording projects it makes for a really worthwhile experience.

We have a member who has just had a baby last year, finished her PhD in teaching and loved being part of the choir. She's already signed up for the full annual membership and taken advantage of the 20% saving on offer. Pay for your annual membership by Feb 2nd and you'll get a whopping $98 off the regular price.

Right now we're planning some great new music to learn which will keep us fresh and up-to-date and we'll also be performing alongside the newly formed MCYOUTH choir - A New Breed of Choir for teenagers. Check out our latest promo video (above) for a taste of what it's like to belong to this amazing group of talented individuals. Don't forget you can register for your first FREE session by clicking the join now button at the bottom of the page.

Jason Simmonds
Founder and Creative Director

​It’s very difficult to convey to people the joy of group singing and the huge buzz that you feel after a session singing together. Last week it was my pleasure to lead a team building exercise for my company’s retreat at Torquay, which involved a group singing activity pulling together 100 voices of untrained singers to perform our version of the hit song “Roar” by Katy Perry.
 
Needless to say when the activity was first announced there were several groans and moans from participants but that all changed when they entered the rehearsal space. I started by reminding them that one of our company’s values is “Superior Performance” and that was exactly what I expected from them!
 
The session started with some simple breathing exercises to relax the group and get them focused on their posture and breathing technique. This was followed by some humming warm-ups and a vowel exercises to get the group warmed up and singing on pitch and matching the tone and volume of those around them.

​Amidst the humor and lots of laughs the group was quickly into learning their parts for “Roar” with comments like – I didn’t realize how important the conductor was in a choir – I thought they just stood out the front and flapped their arms. But when I got lost and looked up, I could tell exactly where we were up to.
 
Well the buzz in the room after the session was electric, everyone without exception left the session on a high with comments like “that was the best team building exercise we have ever done at one of these retreats” and “That was amazing Jason, I don’t know how you got a group of people who have never sung before to come together like that”.
 
Well that wasn’t the end of the event either, some of the group went off into a separate room and formed a band and rehearsed the musical backing for the song. In the evening the band and choir joined together to record the song live and capture the whole thing on video. With choir risers, colorful banners, lighting and sound engineer the group looked and sounded amazing. The song featured a soloist, Jessica Petracca who also sings with Melbourne Contemporary Choir during the week.
 
This little exercise just confirmed to me the importance of community singing and what a vital part of our social structure it has played in the past and continues to play. Even if your choir isn’t the best sounding choir around, the social aspects of a choir should not be underestimated. There is a real resurgence in community singing in Australia as people rediscover this vital part of our communities fabric. I would encourage you to find a great choir that you like and give community singing a go – I’m sure you will love it!
 
Jason Simmonds
Creative Director
Melbourne Contemporary Choir

​I’ve been grappling with the question of why we have so little Y chromosomes in Community singing in general? As you know males differ from Females in that they contain both X and Y chromosomes in their genetic make up, however females have two X chromosomes and yet they constitute the majority of vocal groups. This trend is not necessarily reflected in soloist artist careers with great names like ‘John Farnham’ and ‘Anthony Warlow’ to name just a couple of Australian stand out performers. Given all we know about the benefits of group singing why is it that so many Australian men shy away from this healthy activity.
 
We’ve got a great bunch of guys at MCCHOIR however they are desperately outnumbered by the women. Of course if you’re a single guy you might think this is a good thing! But in term of balancing a group of singers, there’s nothing quite like a deep bass or male driven Tenor part to lift a performance.
 
I have only ever experienced men singing together en mass once in my lifetime and I have to tell you it was an awe inspiring moment. A room full of men singing with passion and gusto has a way of stirring something deep inside that has been missing from our culture for far too long.
 
One of our younger male members, Daniel wrote on his facebook post recently “I love to sing... I want to develop my singing so I can one-day perform as a soloist. That’s my dream... I'll get there. Music makes me safe, makes me happy...”
 
Can I tell you this young man performed at our concert spectacular in front of 400 guests just the other weekend and absolutely blew the audience away with his solo in “Just Give Me a Reason” by P!NK and Nate Ruess. One audience member was so impacted by the lyrics of this song that she became quite emotional and felt a real connection with the choir (and our soloist).
 
Perhaps you once sang because it was a requirement at school to be part of the choir, or maybe you enjoy playing guitar and would like to develop some vocal skills to compliment your instrumental skills, or perhaps you’ve just become so busy with work that your musical aspirations have been put on the back burner.
 
Can I say that everyone of our members lead busy lives, but they find that the small investment in time to attend rehearsals and listen to tracks during the week in the car on their way to work or when they have a spare moment, pays off huge dividends. There’s a buzz you get from performing together, the social interaction and friends you’ll find and the release of feel good hormones is far better than the sugar high from a block of chocolate and far healthier! Improved lung function and boosting your immune system are added benefits too, but most of our members participate because it’s simply a lot of fun and an all round enjoyable experience.
 
To help you get started men, if you’re a new male member and sign up for MCCHOIR and pay for Terms 3 and 4 by our KICKOFF on July 14th we can offer any new male members a special offer of two terms for the price of one. Your first rehearsal is FREE so just register your interest on-line here and come on the 14th for your first session and decide on the night if it’s for you and we’ll invoice you for the $99 – it’s that easy!

​Jason Simmonds
Founding Creative Director
Melbourne Contemporary Choir
Melbourne Contemporary Youth Choir

Today I stumbled upon the Grainger Museum in the grounds of Melbourne University in my lunch break. Established by Percy Aldridge Grainger, Australia's first renowned composer and arranger, and concert pianist of international standing. With in excess of 100,000 items forming this autobiographical museum, it is a unique institution in Australia.

Whilst I don't try to compare myself to this great man I believe another little know creative group - Melbourne Contemporary Choir shares something of his pioneering spirit.  

Whilst there is no evidence that Grainger ever uttered or wrote the now axiomatic: 'art does not occur in a vacuum' I think that something of the creative process in music for which he is renown was reignited as I observed this unique collection and reflected on my own musical journey.  My journey has culminated in the formation of Melbourne Contemporary Choir and our recent EP launch and Concert Spectacular "Time To Shine" at Planetshakers City church this past weekend.

The concert was constructed around the Theme "Time To Shine" the title track on the EP which was a collaborative effort between Jared Haschek (Melbourne based songwriter, musician and arranger) and Jason Simmonds (Creative Director, MCCHOIR). You can get your copy of these original tunes from iTunes. Many of the current choir members are new to the group this year and have achieved a remarkable show in such a short period of time. The joy on my choristers faces and expressions was infectious as the audience were captivated by the passion and enthusiasm each of the singers brought to the stage.

This diverse group of people somehow managed to bring together a captivating show which entertained young and old alike with popular songs from Adele, Sam Smith and Beyonce Knowles to name just a few. One attendee was quoted as saying that in a couple of the songs that she knew very well "Just Give Me A Reason" - P!NK and "Hello" - Adele Adkins that when the choir sang these songs she heard words which she had missed in the original version and she became quite emotional and prompted her to rethink aspects of her life. To me as a Creative Director that is one of the most powerful testimonies of connecting with an audience and moving them deeply that I have experienced. Those moments are rare and as artists we need to cherish them.
​

From powerful Ballads to soaring solo's and an energetic line up of some of Melbourne's finest musicians, many of the audience were not expecting such a musical smorgasbord to devour and enjoy. The concert theme was highlighted right from the outset as the choir moved throughout the darkened auditorium holding lanterns to light their path. Stopping to engage with people and acknowledging their smiles as they passed.

A pumping horn section were featured in much of the set list - a highlight for me was Sam Smith's "Writings on The Wall" with haunting Bond melodies and a beautiful solo from our youngest member "Emilia Dowell" But personally my most treasured memory was seeing my own mother - Lois Simmonds regain her singing confidence and tackling some amazing repertoire - well out of her usual comfort zone with passion and resolve.

Our choir mum 'Lois Simmonds'

Our awesome foursome horn section Dean Konkright, Phil Reichman, Bradley Todd and Ken Marsh in action

Our pocket rocket guest artist - Melody Crystal wowing the audience

- As part of the whole "Time To Shine" experience our music director Jared Haschek introduced me to our guest soloist and MC for the evening - Melody Crystal. Don't let her petite stature fool you - she is a pocket rocket of talent and shared some beautiful moments with the audience with her original songs and a couple of powerful songs with the choir. If you missed the show - I hope I've whet your appetite for our next event - they just keep getting bigger and better - although I'm not quite sure how we'll top this. The whole show had all the ingredients of a hit and it certainly hit the spot with the crowd of 400 guests who didn't want to leave - such was the buzz around the second major performance of MCCHOIR. 

MCCHOIR is always open to new members and we invite you to Register for Term 3 intake HERE commencing on 14 July -secure your spot today. On the night we were very excited to announce the launch of MCYOUTH the new breed of choir starting next term too for youth 13-18. This group will be like no other group you have been in before with cutting edge sounds and ample performance opportunities - we're in for good times. Register for MCYOUTH HERE

Jason Simmonds
Founding Creative Director
Melbourne Contemporary Choir

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Photographs Lou Fabri of Fab Photos