About Diamond Valley Singers

Since its formation in 1985 Diamond Valley Singers has earned a fine reputation for raising money for local and international charities while giving local performers the opportunity to participate in productions.

DVS has members of all ages, from primary school upwards. We have people from all walks of life, each bringing their own areas of expertise into the organisation and generously donating their skills when needed. We are one of the few companies in Melbourne who do not audition our chorus for musicals or our choir for oratorio. Members do not need to be able to read music to be involved.

Our annual program features both a fully staged Junior musical production and a fully staged Adult (may include juniors) musical production in collaboration with the Eltham Orchestra. These are usually performed respectively in March/April and July.
An oratorio or other major choral work takes place in the second half of the year, with performances typically in November. Other junior performing arts programs, smaller choral works, theatrical concerts and Christmas carols round out the year’s activities. These experiences ensure that the varied musical tastes and motivations of our audiences and members are catered for.

As part of the “community group” experience each member is expected to pitch in and help with the tasks involved with staging a show. To help cover costs such as insurance, an annual membership fee is charged, and members are also expected to pay an additional “participation” fee for the hire or purchase of music, rehearsals, accompanist fees and other related costs. These charges don’t cover all costs, so we put our energies into the success of our stage productions, which are the major sources of income. We run occasional fundraisers in addition to top up the bank account and give us some breathing space.

From those the early days when presenting Gilbert and Sullivan shows, since moving into Broadway style productions the challenge has been to find productions that have similarly high chorus involvement.

We are all volunteers, meaning no-one in the group gets paid. Members may choose to be involved with all or only some of the musical programs on offer. Our aims are to have fun, express ourselves, improve our musicianship, to delight our audiences and to raise money for charities. As part of the “community group” experience, we rely on voluntary assistance. Each member is expected to pitch in and help with the myriad of tasks involved with staging a show. This is all part of being a volunteer.

DVS is always looking for creative people willing to direct, or musically direct, or choreograph a production. We also would love to hear from anyone interested in costuming, or set design or building who may like to join our team. Please get in touch if you would like to come along, or if you have a production proposal you would like us to consider.

Diamond Valley Singers is an incorporated body.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement of Traditional owners
Diamond Valley Singers acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung as the Traditional Owners of this country, pays tribute to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Nillumbik, and gives respect to Elders past, present and emerging and their integral part in our region's history.

Photographers
Diamond Valley Singers thank Trevor D’Ambrosio, Lesley Walton, and all individuals who have supplied the wonderful photos appearing on this website.