Sydney Philharmonia Choir sings with the bells of St Paul's, London, at ...

In rehearsal at St Clements

Paul Couvret, bass

Final day at Australia House!

Photo Andrew Hall

First rehearsal at Australia house...

It had been a long day and the Sopranos were waiting very patiently for the section to be rehearsed...
So we decided it was rest time. :D.. I was still studying it though!



Simone Toldi, soprano

Today we bid farewell to the beautiful venue of St Clement Danes where we have been rehearsing for the past 10 days. We didn't go far ... just across the road to Australia House, which is where we perform our final concert in London tomorrow - Thursday 23rd July.



It's been a wonderful two weeks - singing at The Abbey and St Pauls, the BBC Proms and of course performing some wonderful works in some of the world's best locations. Oh, and we did Australia proud !!!! One Londoner was heard to remark after the concert at St Pauls: " I didn't know they did things like this in Australia.. I thought it was just football and cricket"



We had a very good masterclass with Mary King, which resulted in a "quacked" version of Happy Birthday for Steven yesterday ...well, you had to be there to fully appreciate it and know what I mean!!! After tomorrow night, and the formal reception at Australia House, around 122 very tired, and fulfilled choristers (and staff) will start to wend their way back home to Sydney ...via many different routes. What an experience...we've been very fortunate indeed.



Sara Watts, soprano

Photos Mariese Shallard, Operations Manager

Breaking News: Four Phillies Flee Football Riots

An anticipated quiet getaway weekend in York delivered more than choristers had anticipated as they were caught up in football riots.

Narelle Vance, Nat Fisher, Helen Pedersen and husband Michael Frommer disembarked their train, found a lovely quiet deli for lunch and were about to leave to explore the town when police ordered them back inside, instructed them to keep quiet and take cover behind the cheese counter. A large mob of football rioters were being marched up the street, accompanied by dogs, shields, and riot squad gear. The Phillies Four were ordered to stay away from windows and doors and avoid eye contact with the rioters.

They made the most of their time in captivity by consuming copious amounts of Wensleydale and discussing the Proms with the owner, a self-proclaimed Mahler fan who watched the opening night of the Proms live on telly the previous night. The Phillies Four emerged some hours later, well fed, slightly fatter, and with a new best friend.

The Phillies Four
(Nathalie Fisher, Narelle Vance, Helen Pederson & Michael Frommer)

Mahler Symphony No. 8 'Symphony of a Thousand' Part1

Performing at St Pauls Cathedral

Photo Andrew Hall

Rehearsal at St Clement Danes

Photos Andrew Hall

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Congratulations everyone!

BBC Proms Opening Night tonight!

Jodie Boehme, soprano

Last light in the sky at 10.00pm after our first rehearsal at the Albert Hall

Jodie Boehme, soprano

Evensong

On the past two evenings we have sung evensong at Westminster Abbey. The experience has been extraordinary. Prior to evensong, we have had final rehearsal and warm up in the Abbey's 'Song Room' and I took this photo of a tourist pressing his ear to the door trying to better hear the choir!



Sara Watts, soprano

Evensong 2: Westminster Abbey 13th July

Evensong 2 I believe went even better than last night because we had so much more of an idea of what to expect. It's a shame there isn't an evensong tradition in Australia because I think it's a lovely way to end the day with a short service and some singing. In chatting with the vergers at Westminster I learned today that during yesterday's rehearsal there were lots of people who tried to push there way into the Song Room to try and watch us!






Mariese Shallard, Operations Manager

Watch Sydney Philharmonia at the BBC Proms Opening Night

We are looking forward with much anticipation to the BBC Proms Opening Night concert at Royal Albert Hall. The concert is on this Friday (16^th July) at 8pm – Australia is nine hours ahead of England so this makes it 5am(!) here. For those of you that want to experience this exciting event (live or otherwise) there are a couple of options:

BBC Radio 3 is broadcasting all the Proms concerts live, and this can be streamed on the internet.

The concert is being shown in the UK on BBC2, and their website allows you to watch what is currently being shown your computer (again via the internet). If you are not keen to get up at such an early hour the concert will be available for seven days after its initial broadcast.

Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/broadcasts/ to access both the radio and television services.

If you are keen to find out more details about how the UK tour is going, please visit our blog at http://sydneyphilharmonialondontour2010.blogspot.com/. You will find updates, chorister’s stories and photos.

Enjoy the Proms Opening Night!

Evensong 1: Westminster Abbey 12th July

The Westminster 1 Evensong group did us proud this evening with a lovely performance in the Song Room.
Conductor: David A. Taylor
Program
Responses: Humphrey Clucas
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis: T. Noble in B minor
Anthem" 'O thou the central orb' - Charles Wood
Psalm 34

St Clement Danes

Pictures of the church in which we will be rehearsing, St Clement Danes. It was almost completely destroyed in WWII then in the late fifties the Royal Airforce adopted the church and had it reconstructed to the wren design.
I was in the crypt today and although it was burnt out they have emptied the crypt but kept the lead coffin plates some of which date back to the 1600s. The craftsmanship is remarkable and it's so very beautiful for a church literally in the heart of the city being situated on an island in the strand.
More info







Mariese Shallard, Operations Manager

Where we are staying!

So this is Imperial College where about a quarter of the choir are staying. It's so pretty to have a courtyard like this just outside our door that it nearly compensates for the fact that they are doing sewer works on the main street on the otherwise of this building.
The English don't talk much compared to my choral colleagues and me, which makes us quite a noisy group of tourists. Who would have imagined!



Mariese Shallard, Operations Manager

Big Ben

Victoria Campbell, soprano

Champagne!

As I was sitting on my flight marking up my Mahler score (Brett would love
to hear that!), the Qantas cabin crew asked what I was doing.

When I told them what Sydney Philharmonia is about to do, they were so
impressed, they gave me two bottles of French champagne as I disembarked
in London, to "share among the choir after the Royal Albert Hall
concert"!!

Needless to say I then sweated through customs, as I didn't have a
purchase receipt, but I must have an honest face as they waved me straight
through without checking... phew!

I'm sure we'll all enjoy a celebratory drink on Friday night!

Greg Lawler, tenor

On the plane

Alto Penny Gay being utterly diligent on the flight to the UK.
She might have sunk back and ordered another drink, but no, she felt compelled to check her Mahler score!



Georgina Bitcon, soprano

In 2010, Sydney Philharmonia celebrates it 90th year and what better way to celebrate than take 120 choristers halfway round the world to perform at the largest and most prestigious music festivals, the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London.

We will also perform at Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral and Australia House in the presence of the Governor-General and present two world premieres by contemporary composers.

This blog I hope will capture some of the joy of this special tour but also the frivolity and naughtiness that might and should happen in July in London!

In my best Queen's English...I hereby declare this blog officially open!

Brett Weymark, Artistic & Musical Director