BULLETIN 2
The MCAA Committee is pleased to announce that the next MCAA Festival of Song will be held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC) on Sunday, 4th May 2025 (rehearsals & staging on Saturday, 3rd May; concert on Sunday 4th – both at the AEC).
Under the auspices of the MCAA, the festival will be hosted by the members of the Metropolitan Male Choir of South Australia (MMCSA) whose efforts and liaison regarding this venture are much appreciated. The MMCSA’s Musical Director, Evan Patten has been appointed as the Musical Director for the festival.
Because the festival has been brought forward to May from the usual dates later in the year, planning and organizational imperatives have necessarily been condensed. Your committee has approached Dr Paul Whiting (MD, Ku-ring-gai Male Choir) and Judy Ferguson (MD, Wagga City Rugby Male Choir), and they have accepted, to again form a part of the Repertoire Selection Panel with Evan Patton.
Musical Directors of all MCAA member choirs are invited to submit their recommendations to MCAA Secretary, Brian Buckley, for those 8 repertoire items to be repeated from any previous festival (to comprise 50% of the next repertoire) and 8 new repertoire items not previously performed at a MCAA festival (to comprise the other 50%). The table of historical repertoire items is attached for MD’s perusal and reference. As a guide, previous selections have come from the following categories:
- A Capella; Australian; Contemporary; Folk; Opera; Sacred; Musical Shows; Spiritual; Welsh
MDs are requested to limit their preferences to one recommendation per category in each of the repeat items and the new items. The Repertoire Selection Panel is charged with determining a balanced and entertaining program.
MDs should submit their recommendations to Secretary Brian by Sunday 30th April 2023. Yes, this is pressured because the Repertoire Selection Panel must complete its work during May. This will then allow the challenging task of attaining and paying for all copyright and licensing applications to be completed before printing and distribution of music books to all choirs by the end of November 2023, 18 months ahead of performance date.
I thank you all in advance in helping to get the above important repertoire selection process underway. Further information will be forthcoming soon for all choristers about the exciting festival in a new host city for the MCAA.
Cheers
NEIL FLEMING
President, Male Choirs Association of Australia
(Australian Rugby Choir, Canberra)
M: 0403 135 514