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singers and instrumentalists performing in a cathedral

BIG SING - New article, RSVP for Social Events, Mass & NAIDOC Prayer Services

Kathleen McGuire - Wednesday, August 14, 2024
 Weekly announcements   Choir updates   Big Sing news 
Panorama photo, 74 choir members seated in a room, holding music (paper).

UPDATES, RECENT NEWS

This is a BUMPER EDITION of our news! Please read everything. 

First combined rehearsal: Our rehearsal on Saturday afternoon, 10 August, saw 74 people in attendance (pictured above), including Fr Michael and Br Isaac, singing the chants. It all sounded amazing! The beginning of our orchestra were there, too. Many more players are coming next week, too. 

We need you! If you're thinking, "Oh, they have plenty of people, they don't need me" -- think again. We DO need you. We're creating a model at ACU for the future. If we don't have plenty of students and staff from ACU participating, then it will make it more difficult to convince the decision-makers that our performing arts are essential for our wellbeing, while also allowing us to serve the common good. If you're worried you don't know all the music, there's no pressure. You can just sing the bits you know. You've work so hard, this is not the time to drop out. I promise you'll feel better for it, too. 

SCHEDULE - TAKE NOTE!

I (Kathleen) will have very limited time for sending out reminder emails between now and the concerts, so please make sure you have the following in your calendars:

 

At ACU

Thu 15 Aug, 11am rehearsal, 12-12:30pm mass. Chapel (Daniel Mannix Building, level G) RSVP
Thu 22 Aug, 10:15 - 11am, NAIDOC Prayer Service, near South Cafe (420-G) RSVP
Sat 17 Aug, 1-4PM: ACU Recital Hall (308-G), Graham St, Fitzroy. Enter via Young St, building 404.

(optional) Fri 23 Aug, 5PM: Meet & Greet hosted by the Ally Network. (RSVP by Sat 17 Aug). Details below. 
Fri 23 August, 6-9PM: Cathedral Hall (405-G)

Concert weekend

Saturday 24 August

9am-12pm, St Patrick's Cathedral, 1 Cathedral Place, East Melbourne. Dress Rehearsal (no special attire needed). 

12:15 pm bus to Ballarat. (Bus is provided. $10 voluntary donation requested, which includes the return trip. Bring a packed lunch to eat on the bus). Register via the form

St Patrick's College, Ballarat - Performing Arts Centre, 2 Wanliss Road, Newington

2:00 pm tech rehearsal
4:00 pm concert 
6:00 pm (approx.) back on the busral
7:30 pm (approx.) arrive at St Patrick's Cathedral

Sunday 25 August

St Patrick's Cathedral, 1 Cathedral Place, East Melbourne

1:00 pm tech rehearsal (sound checks for livestream)
3:00 pm concert
4:30 pm (approx. end; load out)
(optional: 4:30-6:30pm gathering, Farmer's Daughter Restaurant, 95 Exhibition Street. RSVP required. Details below)

Compulsory Registration Form

https://au.cglink.me/2iC/s2909 
Please complete ASAP and upload your Working With Children Check

Additional players needed

If you have leads/recommendations, these are some instruments we are seeking: Oboe, Violin, Viola, Cello, Yidaki, Bodhrán 

Please promote ticket sales to friends, family etc.

Especially if you know people in the Ballarat area

https://ticketing.humanitix.com/tours/acu-s-big-sing-for-a-big-cause-2024 or 

bigsingforabigcause.com 

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RSVP: Social Events

Please indicate via THIS LINK if you wish to attend either of the OPTIONAL social events during our concert week. These have been arranged for concert performers, volunteers and guardians only. We are unable to facilitate additional family members/guests due to the limited space available at the venues. (If you want them to join you, we can always use more volunteers!) 

RSVP DUE DATE: Sat 17 August (numbers are needed by the venues).

EVENT DETAILS

1. MEET & GREET - Fri 23 Aug, 5PM (free) On Friday, 23 August, ACU’s Ally Network will host a Meet & Greet to welcome our overseas guests visiting for the weekend: GALS Auckland’s Rainbow Choir. This event will be hosted at ACU on campus (exact location to be confirmed) at 5pm, immediately before our rehearsal. Food and (non-alcoholic) drink will be provided by the Ally Network. 

2. POST-CONCERT GATHERING - Sun 25 Aug, 4:30-6:30pm (self-pay) Immediately following our Melbourne concert, we have reserved the rooftop area at Farmer’s Daughters, 95 Exhibition Street, 80 Collins Precinct, Melbourne, from 4:30 to 6:30pm. (Approx. 500m from St Patrick’s Cathedral). The restaurant owners have very kindly created this opportunity especially for us, which is not usually how the space is used. 

Guests will be able to purchase a limited selection of snacks and light food, as well as wines, beers and soft drinks. Purchase these items at the bar and have them brought to a table.

FORMAL DINNER BOOKINGS
Also, separate from (or after) our gathering, formal bookings for dinner can be made downstairs at the Farmer’s Daughters Restaurant or Deli Bistro:

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Article, Melb Catholic news

This beautiful article about the BIG SING includes interviews with Fr Michael, Br Isaac, and Alia.
Published 13 Aug 2024.
For those who died on our streets: ACU’s ‘Big Sing for a Big Cause’ comes to the Cathedral

IMPORTANT

Schedule change: No rehearsal Tues 20 Aug

Two 'gigs' in the week ahead:
 RSVPs needed  

Thu 15 Aug, 11am

Rehearsal, followed by singing at Mass at 12pm (end 12:30pm). Reflection & Senzeni Na. RSVP

Thu 22 Aug, 10:30am

NAIDOC Prayer Service, South Cafe area (420-G). Meet at 10:15am to prep. We will do the Acknowledgement WITH YIDAKI!!!! (+ possibly Reflection as well). RSVP

Priest, standing and smiling, playing a hand drum, behind a table.

OPEN DAY SUN 11 AUG

Thank you to those who came along on Sunday for our 1pm presentation. We had a small but appreciative audience. Because there were only a small number of singers, too, we sang along with a YouTube recording. The impact was amazing. Many people heard the recording from a distance and commented later.

We had the BEST location for our booth, too. (Pictured: Fr Michael playing a drum at the choir booth).

Thank you to Alia, Lauren and Nicole and others for spending some time. I know other choir members were around as well, very busy at other booths.

We attracted MANY inquiries for both the CHOIR and the ORCHESTRA, evening picking up a couple of people for the BIG SING (percussionist AVERY will be joining us this Saturday). I expect we will have a very big group next year.