Vocal Evolution on Australian national television
Vocal Evolution made an appearance on the nationally televised ‘Australia’s Got Talent’. The crowd were fantastic and we got some very positive comments from the judges. We certainly had a heap of fun doing it!
Singing in Ngilgi Cave
Our second trip to the south of the state so far this year brought us to Cowaramup, about 3.5 hours south along the coast from Perth. We were there at the invitation of the Margaret River Arts Council to perform at their Community Sundowner at Lions Park.
On the way the chorus stopped at the Ngilgi Cave where we descended and sang a few songs. The cave acoustics did not disappoint! Certainly a unique and very satisfying singing experience. We made recordings of the performance and hope to have an example up soon.
Valentine’s Day Concert with David Campbell
Vocal Evolution were recently invited by the City of Joondalup to perform as support act for David Campbell at their Valentine’s Concert. This event is the City’s premier performing arts event and is the highlight of their Summer Concert Series.
The twilight concert took place at the Joondalup Resort and sold out 8000 tickets in just a few hours after they went on sale. It was a beautiful setting with the stage set in the middle of a picturesque fairway on one of Australia’s best golf courses.
AICD Christmas Long Lunch
Vocal Evolution were invited to perform at the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Winemakers Christmas Long Lunch on 16 December.
This event was held in the festively-decorated ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Vocal Evolution performed some Christmas Carols and then our arrangement of “Africa” at the request of the MC.
Supporting Jimmy Barnes at Boyup Brook
Vocal Evolution was given the opportunity to fill a slot supporting none other than Jimmy Barnes at a recent performance in Boyup Brook (3 hours south of Perth), organised by the Boyup Brook Country Music Club.
The Concert venue was an amazing purpose built stage on the banks of The Blackwood River. A huge crowd turned up to the picturesque setting to see Jimmy and we are happy to report that Vocal Evolution’s set went down a treat with the locals.
Jimmy and his his band put on a fantastic show and had all of us amazed with his unique brand of vocal prowess.
OZarts Review
Neville Cohn’s review of Vocal Evolution’s performance at the Royal Schools Music Club on
7 November, 2009. This review originally appeared in the OZartsreview website.
In many decades of attending – and writing about – concerts, I had never experienced a program presented by a male vocal harmony chorus i.e. until the weekend when I heard a performance by Vocal Evolution at Sir Thomas More College Chapel on the campus of the University of Western Australia.
Only brief moments into the curtainraiser - an altogether beguiling account of Blue Skies – it became unambiguously apparent that Vocal Evolution is a male voice ensemble of high order. From first note to last, its singing was an essay in ultra-professionalism with nary a wrong note, let alone a discord or a lapse in intonation.
Corporate tone could hardly have been bettered – and chording was everything one could have hoped for. With a unanimity of attack that most critics dream about but seldom encounter in reality, there was abundant evidence as well of care lavished on diction. Every word was as clearly enunciated as one could possibly expect it to be. It was an object lesson in how to do this sort of thing very well.
Vocal Evolution’s performance suggests it is an ensemble that rehearses regularly and intensively. Certainly, there were no passengers in this vocal group which harmonises with the ease that comes only from rehearsal that is totally focussed.
It is hardly surprising to learn that Vocal Evolution has won a swag of awards for its singing. At the Australian Association of Men’s Barbershop Singing National Convention in Hobart last September, Vocal Evolution won gold medals in every category it entered which, on the evidence of Saturday’s performance, is hardly surprising.
This is no stand-and-deliver group. On the contrary, the ensemble has a repertoire of discreetly choreographed movement that adds a pleasing visual dimension to the performance, enhancing the overall quality of excellence that informs everything Vocal Evolution presents. It is, moreover, clear that the singers relish performing – and this adds a further dimension to the overwhelmingly positive impact of the singing.
Africa (by Toto) provided untrammelled listening pleasure; it deservedly brought the house down.
Are there any commercial recordings of Vocal Evolution? If this performance is anything to go by, there ought to be.
AAMBS Hobart Convention wrap-up
It’s hard to find the words to adequately describe what it was like for Vocal Evolution to win a national chorus gold medal. For some who have been with the chorus since the start it was the realisation of a long-held dream. For our newer members it’s been an absolute whirlwind experience. Everyone was elated of course and after coming back down to earth there remains a deep satisfaction that comes from the understanding of how much the whole chorus has grown as a result of participating in this journey. It sounds a bit corny but it’s true — the experience has left each one of us with so much more than just a trophy and a gold medal.
We have had the privilege of working with many very talented people along the way, but in particular we owe a debt of gratitude to Eddie Martinez who has been a great coach, mentor and friend to us for many years and without whom we would not be where we are today. Cindy Hansen provided invaluable input into our presentation plan for the Hobart convention and we are very thankful that she was willing and able to share her considerable expertise with us.
We also want to acknowledge eight-time chorus champions The Blenders. They have set the bar for Australian barbershop for so long and have provided a fine example for us to aspire to not only with their amazing performances over the years but also as a great singing organisation. We know that they will continue to be at the forefront of local barbershop and we are certainly looking forward to seeing what they produce in the future.
There were many other highlights for us from convention. We were absolutely thrilled to see Ian Mulholland inducted as a Life Member of AAMBS. You would be hard-pressed to find an individual who has had more influence on the Australian barbershop scene as a singer, music director, administrator, coach, educator and judge. Well done Ian.
For some of our members proceedings started early as they attended judges school in the days prior to convention to qualify or re-qualify as AAMBS/NZABS judges. VE can now boast seven qualified judges within our ranks.
It was very gratifying for us to see our younger members make such a huge impact at this convention. It may seem to some as if this happened overnight but it is the culmination of the vision and hard work of many in Vocal Evolution since our inception to introduce young people to barbershop and to allow them the space to have an influence on the national scene. We want to acknowledge the hard work and talent of 3 Men & A Tenor who won the Youth Quartet gold medal and the Open Quartet bronze, Nexus who were close behind to take fourth place in the Open Quartet contest and Off Campus who were simply sensational in winning the inaugural National Youth Chorus gold medal.
We also want to congratulate our 2009 Open Quartet Champions, Alliance. It’s been a big couple of years for this quartet as they have travelled around the country and to the USA as performers, educators and sometimes as judges. Busy, certainly, but they would not have it any other way.
It must be said that we are especially proud of our Music Directors Alex Morris and Adam Brockway. They bring a wealth of talent with them and we are extremely fortunate to have these young men on the Vocal Evolution team. It’s very exciting to think about what we will be able to achieve in the future with this calibre of musical leadership.
Many of us who have been attending AAMBS conventions over the years have always counted catching up with old friends as a highlight and we certainly don’t take this fantastic fellowship for granted. It was great to see our newer members also enjoying this unique brand of musical mateship which for many extended to Harmony College and getting to interact with our overseas guests including the marvellous State Line Grocery quartet and judges Marty Lovick, James Estes and Rob Campbell. Vocal Evolution had just under half of our chorus at Harmony College and everyone loved the experience.
We must also make mention of the fantastic job the organising committee did with this convention. From early on even in the registration process it was clear that this team was really on the ball. This followed through to every part of the convention and our guys were unanimous in their praise for the event. From Vocal Evolution – a huge thank-you for all your effort!
2010 will be a big year as we continue to revamp our repertoire and continue on the journey to get our singing and everything else up to A-level. We are aiming to record a CD next year and we are currently considering the implications of accepting the invitation to from AAMBS to represent Australia at the BHS International Convention either in 2010 or 2011. We will certainly have a heap on our plates if we take on this challenge!
Vocal Evolution meet Jimmy Barnes
Travelling back from the AAMBS convention it happened that our President Peter Dyball (left) found himself sitting next to none other than Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes. On arrival in Perth Jimmy very graciously consented to our request to pose for a photo with those of us who were on the plane and with the trophy.
Peter, being a big Barnesy fan, is still pinching himself!
Vocal Evolution win gold!
We are very pleased to report that Vocal Evolution, directed by Alex Morris, has been awarded the gold medal in the Open Chorus Contest at the recent AAMBS National Convention in Hobart.
On top of this, Vocal Evolution quartets took out three of the top five places in the Open Quartet Contest with Alliance winning gold (for the second time), 3 Men & A Tenor being awarded the bronze and also taking out the Audience Favourite and Most Improved awards. Nexus came in very close behind in fourth place in the Open Quartet section.
In the Youth divisions our chorus, Off Campus, amazed and delighted the crowd at the Theatre Royal with a performance that matched anything produced by the open division groups and which rightly earned them a gold medal. Once again 3 Men & A Tenor were at the fore earning a gold medal in the quartet contest and being named the National Youth Quartet Champions.
Special thanks to our long-time friend and coach Eddie Martinez who travelled all the way from the USA to guide us through the contest and add the final polish to our performance.
Last, but not least, thank-you Hobart!
