Graham Abbott, Take 2

Following the success of last year’s Choral Workshop weekend with Graham Abbott, Oriana is very happy to announce that Graham is returning for another session of musical education, illumination, inspiration, and fun. This will all take place on the weekend of August 26th and 27th, at Stella Maris Primary School Hall, Maroochydore.

Graham is a nationally and internationally acclaimed choral, opera and orchestral conductor and music educator. Over a career spanning more than thirty years, he has often been a guest conductor with all the major Australian orchestras. He has conducted, among many, the Prague Chamber Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and has worked with many choirs and opera companies in Australasia and Europe.

Graham has a wealth of musical knowledge, experience and expertise. And he has a passion for sharing them with others. For many years he was a vital part of ABC Classic’s programming schedule. During that time, he wrote, and presented, Keys to Music. For one hour each week, Graham would treat his listening audience to a highly informative, educational, enlightening and incredibly entertaining programme focusing on a particular musical subject - be it a specific composer, genre, musical history, particular musical instruments, or any one of a vast range of topics. And his obvious enthusiasm for his subject was infectious.

For this year’s workshop, Graham will run sessions during which participants will learn several chorus pieces from Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and a madrigal by 16th century English composer John Bennet. Participants will not only learn the pieces to sing. Graham will also share his understanding of many aspects of the music – its historical context, the inspirations for its creation, its structure and form, and much else besides. It will all culminate in a concert performance of all the pieces on Sunday afternoon.

Given Graham’s enthusiasm and passion for his subject, attendees can be assured that this workshop will do much, much more than just teach them how to sing ‘the right notes in the right order’. It will give them understanding, enlightenment, enjoyment and entertainment. It will enrich their musical knowledge and appreciation. And at the end of the weekend, they will go home saying “I’m so glad I was here!”

Oriana looks forward to seeing you there! To book, please visit https://oriana.org.au/aww2023