The 42nd Intervarsity Choral Festival: MELBOURNE, Friday 18 January–Sunday 3 February 1991

[Patron?] <<BR>>
'''Chorusmasters:''' [[Ben Macpherson]], Richard Nicholls, Kathleen Mc``Guire <<BR>>
'''Accompanists:''' Anthony di Giantomasso, Dianna Nixon <<BR>>
'''Camp Venue:''' Campaspe Downs, Kyneton <<BR>>
'''Participating choirs:''' Adelaide University Graduate Singers, AUCS, SCUNA, DUS, FUCS, LaTUCS, MUS, MUCS, MonUCS, PUCS, QUMS, SUMS, TUMS<<BR>>
'''FIBS:''' HIPPY (Hip Information Peacefully Packaged ... Yeah!)

=== COMMITTEE ===
'''Convenor:''' Jacqui Harrison<<BR>>
'''Secretary:''' Mandy Johnson<<BR>>
'''Treasurer:''' Sophie Gordon-Clark<<BR>>
'''Con``Man:''' Tim Connard<<BR>>
'''Publicity:''' Kate Gorringe-Smith<<BR>>
'''Librarian:''' Michael Mc``Laughlin<<BR>>
'''Camp Officer:''' Kate Suter<<BR>>
'''Transport & Billeting:''' Helen Penrose<<BR>>
'''Social Secretary:''' Jane Staley<<BR>>
'''Fundraising Officer:''' Eric Polli<<BR>>
'''Corporate Sponsorship:''' Maya Rozner<<BR>>
'''Ass. Pub``Off:''' [[Andrew Wailes]]<<BR>>
'''Dogsbody:''' Anna Gifford<<BR>>
'''Dogsbody:''' Helen Gordon-Clark<<BR>>
'''Consulting Wizard:''' David Greagg<<BR>>
'''Deakin Liaison:''' Nicola Wells<<BR>>
'''MUCS Liaison:''' Simon Barfoot

=== CONCERT 1 ===
8pm, Wednesday 30 January, St Mary Star of the Sea, West Melbourne<<BR>>
'''Conductor:''' John Grundy<<BR>>
'''Soloists:'''  Lynette Alcantara (alto), Michael Chang (tenor)<<BR>>
'''Programme:''' Rachmaninov ''Vespers'', Op. 37<<BR>>
'''Notes:'''     A small group of three singers (not four, as listed in the programme) sang four pieces of Gregorian chant from the loft at the back of the church, interspersed amongst the movements of the ''Vespers'': Psalm 104, ''Salve Regina'', ''Haec dies'', and ''Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit''.<<BR>>
'''Review:'''    Kenneth Hince, “Monument to what might have been”, ''Age'', Friday 1 February 1991, p.12.<<BR>>
“… [T]he main dramatic device is [Rachmaninov’s] use of very strong impressive dynamic contrast, loud against soft.<<BR>>
“For its full effect this needs large choirs, as it had on Wednesday, with about 200 voices (including some female tenors, something new to me). Large choral forces allow two quite different things: pianissimo singing of exceptionally fine tone such as you can never get with a small choir, and sudden stupendous thunder-claps of volume. Grundy and his choir exploited both these well, and combined and contrasted them effectively.<<BR>>
“The choral work was excellent, especially for a strenuous unaccompanied work lasting about an hour-and-a-half. It was not flawless. The sopranos and altos both tended to drift under the note at times, especially early in the evening. Nor could the basses handle Rachmaninov’s writing at the end of the ''Nunc dimittis'': but where outside Russia do you find basses who can give you maximum tone around low B-flat?<<BR>>
“The choir showed great enterprise in singing the work in Russian: this was probably the first complete performance in Australia in the original language.”

=== CONCERT 2 ===
Saturday 2 February, Melbourne Concert Hall<<BR>>
'''Conductor:''' Pinchas Zukerman<<BR>>
'''Soloists:'''  Gillian Sullivan (soprano), Irene Waugh (alto), Gregory Tomlinson (tenor), Geoffrey Chard (bass)<<BR>>
'''Programme:''' Mozart ''Requiem''<<BR>>
'''Notes:'''     State Orchestra of Victoria. Victorian Arts Centre Summer Music: Mozart 200 Series<<BR>>
'''Review:'''    Kenneth Hince, “Mozart concerts fail to maintain high standards”, ''Age'', Monday 4 February 1991, p.14.<<BR>>
“The concert, and the series, ended with a performance of the ‘Requiem’, splendidly sung by the choir of the 42nd Intervarsity Choral Festival. The solo singers made a formidable quartet, although there were a few points missed — neither the soprano nor the tenor caught the inflected pathos of the reference to Mary and the good thief in the Recordare, and the tenor turned his Latin accusative into an ablative at the same moment.<<BR>>
“Although the orchestral ensemble was satisfactory, my own impression was that both the orchestra and the conductor were riding on the back of the well-prepared choir. Outside their singing, there was not a great deal of subtlety or finish to the performance.”

=== OTHER COMMENTS ===
'''IV Parents:''' Mr and Mrs Stacey, Mr and Mrs Penrose.<<BR>>
'''Preview article:''' Rebecca Lancashire, “200 with one voice”, ''Age'', 30 January 1991, p.14.

"Where's my sandwich?" Pinchas Zukerman

=== STORIES & LINKS ===
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||<tablestyle="width: 100%; background-color: #E0E0FF; text-align: center;">'''Previous festival: [[PIV1990]] Next festival: [[HIV1992]]||
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