1998, Sing-it-Yourself Messiah

Only two rehearsals led to the Sing-it-Yourself Messiah with Nancy Cornwallis. Auditions for soloists were held while the first rehearsal was taking place. There were three performances; Diamond Creek, Benalla and Shepparton, the latter two involving a weekend away, with billeting in Benalla. There were twelve soloists and over forty altogether in the choir, with others coming along to sing in the audience.

At Benalla there were twenty of us and thirty locals, which made for a good performance, with eight tenors! At Shepparton, one of the local sopranos joined us and sang some of the solos. Some choir members came up for only one of the two performances. We were fed and well looked after at both venues, which made for a pleasant visit. The choir usually enjoys our country concerts.

These history notes have been kindly provided by our long-term artistic director and co-founder, Graham Ford.