By Daniel Matthys
It is a Monday night and the hall of St Bernadette’s in Glendalough is filled with young singers.
As the practice continues, choir members dance as they sing carols, ring imaginary bells to hit the higher notes, and sweep their hands back and forth to improve their phrasing.
It is all part of the unusual, energetic, but undoubtedly effective, teaching method of Dr Margaret Pride, Director of the Collegium Symphonic Chorus.
The group of young singers, known as the Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity Choir, hired Dr Pride for an eight-week program to help improve their singing quality and cohesion.
And, with just a few short weeks, the eight-week program will come alive at their fifth (annual) Christmas Concert, to be held at the Quarry Amphitheatre on 20 December.
Anyone can sing, says Dr Pride. “Singing is just heightened speech.” The eight-week program with Dr Pride is all part of the choir’s preparations for the concert.
The choir, founded in 2010, meets each Monday night for most nights of the year.
The dedicated group of singers gathers to go over the repertoire for coming Masses and events.
Though the members might come from a variety of musical backgrounds, all are united by the belief that ‘practice makes perfect’.
Also uniting this mixed group of singers is a shared love of the musical heritage of the Christian faith. Sacred music, both ancient and contemporary, is the staple of the choir. Its director, Sean Tobin, is at his most eloquent in explaining how music brings glory to God.
Born and raised in Perth, Sean owes much of the inspiration behind the choir to the 14 years he spent in Italy. It was there, living with the Family of Mary, a new ecclesial movement, that Sean says he saw the incredible importance in the role of beauty in bringing people to Christ.
It is this vision that Sean wishes to bring to Perth and, if the dedication of the choir’s members is anything to judge by, it is a vision that is shared.
“The choir has also been over the years, a place where musical talents can be cultivated through practice and interactions with some of the finest musicians Perth has to offer,” Sean said.
“Since the choir’s beginning, talented singers have been instrumental in developing the voices of its members,” he said.
Sean went on to explain that, also new to the choir this year is the formation of an accompanying orchestra under the direction of Paul Wright, an internationally acclaimed violinist.
Part of the vision behind the Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity Choir has always seen the group as a community where the talents of young Catholic musicians can be developed for the betterment of music across the Archdiocese.
As such, and though the choir has a special relationship with St Bernadette’s Parish, it has always remained unattached to any particular parish.
“Rather, the group has concentrated on producing concerts where Christian culture can be shared by the faithful across Perth,” Sean said.
This year’s Christmas concert promises to be the group’s largest production yet featuring trained actors, an original screenplay as well as a large ensemble of singers and instruments.
But behind the professionalism of the production, and the beauty of the harmonies, is that small group of students and young professionals bringing glory to God with “heightened speech”.
Christmas at the Quarry will be held on 20 December at the Quarry Amphitheatre. Tickets from Ticketmaster.