AUSTRALIAN GIRLS CHOIR JOINED ORPHEUS AND PHOENIX CHILDREN’S CHORUS AT 2017 LEGACY CONCERTS
The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix continued its Legacy Concert Series by joining the award-winning Phoenix Children’s Chorus (PCC) and Australian Girls Choir (AGC) for a program featuring individual and collaborative performances from all three ensembles. Two concerts were presented on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.
Selections from Orpheus during the concert included the world premiere of the men’s arrangement of “Unclouded Day,” the Japanese children’s song “Hotaru Koi” (Japanese firefly) and the sea chanty “Eddystone Light.” Selections from PCC included “Kansas City” from Smokey Joe’s Café, the Scottish folk song “Loch Lomond” and “The Big City Sound” medley. Performances from AGC included “Waltzing Matilda” by A.B. Paterson, “I Still Call Australia Home” by Peter Allen and “Songs from a Sunburnt Country” arranged by Mark Puddy. All of the ensembles performed “O-Re-Mi” and “Why We Sing.”
The Legacy Concert Series featuring the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix and the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, now in its third season, has been made possible in part by a grant from City of Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture.
The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix made its debut on Christmas morning 1929 on KTAR-AM and has delighted audiences in venues large and small throughout Arizona and beyond with a diverse mix of classical and popular music. The group has excelled under the baton of Dr. Brook Carter Larson. Throughout its rich 88-year history, the chorus has also toured in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, been featured in radio and TV broadcasts, and has sung the National Anthem at professional sporting events and for dignitaries, including John F. Kennedy. Orpheus has gained international acclaim on tours throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The Phoenix Children’s Chorus has been transforming children’s lives through choral music since 1984. Under the artistic direction of Ron Carpenter the organization has grown to provide quality choral music education to more than 400 children and teenagers annually. Now, in its 34th season, PCC includes seven progressively experienced choirs with rehearsal locations in the East Valley and Downtown Phoenix. The choirs perform throughout the Valley annually. The award-winning PCC touring choirs have performed in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Canada, Mexico, China, Italy, Argentina, Uruguay and throughout the United States serving as musical ambassadors representing The City of Phoenix, The State of Arizona, and The United States.
The Australian Girls Choir is performing in San Francisco, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Palm Springs and Los Angeles on its 21st International Tour. AGC was founded in 1984 and made up of just 150 young girls in Melbourne. Today, it is an organization with 5,500 choristers training in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The 2017 touring choir is made up of 62 girls, ages 10 to 17, and is drawn from the three most senior levels from all over Australia. The girls rehearse in their home cities throughout the year and join together as a touring choir just three days before departure. AGC has toured to every corner of the globe. International tour highlights have included audiences with Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, a performance for the King of Tonga and numerous Disney shows. Closer to home, the choir has performed at prestigious Australian events including singing for Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama.