Information current as at AUGUST 2009

Choir's Email Address: info@theacc.com.au

Choir's Website: www.theacc.com.au

Vision statement / Artistic goals: Founded in 1976, to provide singing opportunities for both young boys and girls, the Australian Children's Choir (ACC) is one of the oldest mixed-voice children's choirs in Australia; ACC currently provides musical opportunities for children aged 7-19 through 5 different levels - 4 training choirs (Melody, Harmony, Training, Reserve) and the Senior Chorister Ensemble; under the supervision of the Musical Director, a fully qualified staff of conductors, tutors and accompanists ensure that each child receives a quality teaching experience; ACC aims to instill its young members with a high degree of musical skill, strong inter-personal skills and self confidence; ACC members are expected to show a high level of pride and self-discipline in their music-making, and are encouraged to serve as ambassadors for their choir and their country when touring throughout Australia and abroad; ACC is a well established choral organisation where the emphasis is on a well-rounded musical education and a quality, friendly teaching and performing experience for each of its members

Voice type: Children's - Girls and Boys (trebles and altos)

Choir performs: Both unaccompanied & accompanied

Year Choir formed: 1976

No. of Singing Members - Currently: 225 Desired: 260

Musical Repertoire: Extremely broad, encompassing all styles of choral repertoire, ranging from large symphonic works, to Renaissance church music, folk songs, carols, contemporary Australian music and popular music; ACC is in demand to sing at many prestigious community and corporate events throughout the year, giving up to 30 performances, and is often engaged to record for film and television, and as backing vocalists for leading artists

Musical Director: Andrew Wailes

No. of years in current post: since 1999

Previous musical experience: Widely regarded as one of Australia's leading conductors specializing in choral and symphonic choral repertoire; has been Conductor of Melbourne University Choral Society (MUCS) since 1992, Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra since 1998, Principal Guest Conductor of the Australian Classical Players Orchestra, Musical Director of the Box Hill Chorale (since 1995), a former Conductor and Life Member of the Monash University Choral Society, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Australian Children's Choir (since 1999); currently directs ACU St Patrick's Choir and Monash University's Viva Voce Choir; Guest Conductor of ensembles such as Chamber Made Opera, Lyric Opera of Melbourne; has been chorusmaster for groups including Kirov Opera, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Perth and Melbourne International Festivals, Australian Intervarsity Festival Choir (all states), Australian Youth Orchestra, etc; has appeared as Guest Conductor of orchestras including Orchestra Victoria, Camerata Academica Freiburg (Germany), Monash Chamber Orchestra, the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Sinfonia, the Christchurch Sinfonia (New Zealand), Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Stonnington Symphony Orchestra, and has directed student ensembles at Melbourne University, Monash University, Australian Catholic University and the Victorian College of the Arts; a regular Guest Conductor of various orchestras and choirs at summer schools around the country; he has appeared with major choirs from the USA, Sweden, Canada, England, South Africa, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand as Guest Conductor; founder and Artistic Director of the Melbourne Festival of Children's Choirs, and is in demand throughout Victoria as a workshop leader, guest conductor and adjudicator; as singer, he has performed with groups such as Opera Australia, National Youth Choir of Australia, Past Echoes Early Music Group, IHOS Opera, various RSCM choirs, and numerous professional recording ensembles

Choir's past collaborations with other musical groups: Various major recording artists - John Farnham's "Whispering Jack" album; many television appearances, including 2001 AFI Awards for the Seven Network; ACC has recently appeared with some of Melbourne's leading musical ensembles, including the Melbourne Symphony, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir, Australian Classical Players, Royal Australian Air Force Band, Melbourne Youth and Percy Grainger Youth Orchestras, and regularly appears at community events such as Carols by Candelight; ACC hosts annual ACCORD concerts which bring together the training ensembles of many Australian children's choirs; in 2001, ACC hosted the inaugural Melbourne Festival of Children's Choirs at the Melbourne Town Hall, marking the ACC's 25th anniversary

Audition: Yes - All children are tested for basic reading, aural and rhythm skills, and depending on age, are tested for pitch matching ability, range, vocal quality, and sight-reading ability; Children are allocated to a specific training choir according to individual level and experience, before being considered for entry into Senior Performing Ensemble, etc

Minimum Attendance policy - Rehearsals: Yes Concerts: Yes

Membership Fees: Fees depend on relevant level; Fees are paid in quarterly term instalments, and include some camps, excursions and workshops throughout the year, as well as all musical tuition, music and weekly rehearsals

Ability to read music: Highly desirable but not necessary

Sight-reading ability: Highly desirable but not necessary

Av. No. of rehearsals/week: 1 for training choirs; 2 for Senior Performing Choir

Usual rehearsal night(s): Thursday night (Seniors), and Saturday afternoon

Suburb: Mitcham

Rehearsal venue: ACC House, Mountview Uniting Church, cnr Whitehorse Road & Doncaster East Rd

Off-street parking: Yes

Performance Apparel: Senior Choir - several performing uniforms, ranging from a Prue Acton-designed corporate outfit in Australian Eucalypt Green (formal blazer, embroidered shirt, trousers/tailored skirt, black shoes) to standard concert black and whites, or gowns used for Church performances or Christmas (flowing full-length bottle green gown with white embroidered or gold collar); separate travel uniform

Av. No. of Concert Programs/year: 5

Av. No. of Performances/year: 30

Sample of the Choir's past Concert Venues: St Paul's Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne Concert Hall, Melbourne Town Hall, Royal Exhibition Buildings, IWAKI Auditorium (ABC Centre Southbank), North Melbourne Town Hall, Whitehorse Arts Centre, Box Hill Town Hall, Parliament House (Canberra), Great Hall of the Australian National University (Canberra), Pilgrim Uniting Church (Adelaide), CEMA Centre (Portland), Hamilton Performing Arts Centre, Christchurch Cathedral (NZ)

Examples of musical pieces performed: Symphony VIII (Mahler), Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Bach), Gloria (Vivaldi), Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart), The Messiah's Halleluia Chorus (Handel), Messe Basse (Faure), numerous Carols, Black Swanna (Leek), Song Cycle From the Crow's Nest (Ian Jefferson), Seven Songs from "A Children's Garden of Verses" (Calvin Bowman), The Lark Ascending (Linda Spevacek), Nigra Sum (Pablo Casals), Five Haiku on Rain (David Evans), My Master Hath a Garden (David Hamilton), Sail Away (Malcolm Dalglish), Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Jackson Berkey)

Touring: Yes - Melbourne Metro Area/Regional Victoria/Interstate/Overseas

Administration / Governance arrangements for the Choir: ACC is managed by a Board of Management - Music Director, Finance Manager, 2 Co-Administration Managers, Chairperson and a number of elected board members (usually parents of choir members); Board of Management works in conjunction with the Music Director (representing the Music Staff)

Types of Committees: Sub-committees are formed as required, but all activities are usually directed through Board members

Own collection of music scores: Yes

Available for hire to other groups: Yes

Hiring fees apply: Yes