In June, The University of Notre Dame Australia opened its doors to its Broadway campus to offer Gondwana Choirs the opportunity to rehearse in St Benedict’s Hall.
Here is the official announcement from The University of Notre Dame Australia –
Notre Dame Welcomes Youth Choir
Australia’s most respected choral organisation for young people, Gondwana Choirs, is taking up residency at The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Broadway campus from June 23, 2018. The choir, which was founded by Lyn Williams OAM in 1989, will be based at the university for the next two years while its home base at Millers Point is being refurbished.
“We are delighted to throw our doors open and offer Gondwana Choirs a temporary home at Notre Dame,” said Professor Margot Kearns, Interim Head of Campus in Sydney.
“The presence of these talented choristers can only enhance the cultural life of the university.”
When Lyn Williams OAM created the Sydney Children’s Choir in 1989, she wanted audiences to experience the unique and captivating sound of a well-trained children’s choir. From this single choir, the organisation now includes over 500 children in the Sydney Children’s Choir program; 350 choristers, composers and conductors in Gondwana National Choral Program; and the choral hubs for the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir in Cairns and Sydney. Sydney Children’s Choir and the two national ensembles, Gondwana Voices and Gondwana Chorale, regularly perform with the country’s leading orchestras and ensembles in the great symphonic works and new music by Australian composers. Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir has a proud record of commissioning and performing works in Indigenous languages, and has collaborated with many leading artists, including the Vienna Boys Choir in 2017.
Under the new arrangement, Gondwana Choirs will hold all of its rehearsal sessions at St Benedict’s Hall, part of Notre Dame’s Broadway campus. Bernie Heard, Executive Director of Gondwana Choirs, said the company was grateful to find such a great rehearsal space in the heart of Sydney and looked forward to working with the University.
“The hall is an excellent rehearsal space, while St Benedict’s Church naturally has fantastic acoustics for choral singing,” he said. “The university’s location on Broadway is easily accessible by public transport – and very welcoming for our families, especially those with young choristers.”
Gondwana Choirs will open their doors to the local community and stage some open rehearsals at the University over the next few months, and will also share special discounts to their high profile concerts for University staff and students. Details will be released by the choir at a later date.
