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BOORT
WELCOMES BENDIGO YOUTH CHOIR

Sunday March 14 was a warm and sunny day, when the
Bendigo Youth Choir came
to sing for us in the
Anglican Church of St Andrews.
A thirty strong choir together with their manager,
PR person, pianist, and conductor,
Mrs Valerie
Broad, arrived with excitement and anticipation.
Orientation to the
performance space, acoustics and
rehearsal of a grand entrance preceded a picnic
lunch in and around the church hall. It was a
delight to see families spread a picnic
rug under
the trees on the church property. Did I mention that
loads of family and
friends accompanied the choir on
this outing?
An entire busload plus several cars all pulled in by
the lake.
Members of the Boort congregation had worked hard to
have the church and hall ready
to receive our
guests.
The amazing country afternoon tea was a hit with our
visitors.
Before we moved into that space, we all gathered in
the church and witnessed the choir entrance as they
sang a glorious "Hallelujah".
Choir members moved in and out of the choir proper
as different pieces were presented - all members
sang the pieces they had rehearsed. We were honoured
with three soloists - violin, snare drum and flute,
together with the most amazing breadth of
repertoire. Songs sung in Norwegian and Samoan
stretched our imagination, while old favourites
such
as Danny Boy and Song of Australia touched our
hearts.
Local comes home.........Mrs
Valerie Broad was known to some in our community as
Valerie McCracken. Even in her youth, Valerie was
taking concert performers to small country towns.
Valerie is the founder of the Bendigo Youth Choir,
which has in recent years celebrated their 25th
Anniversary with a
trip to Europe, and an extended
concert program in places such as Prague and
Salzburg. Young people, male and
female, who join
the choir are encouraged in a love of music and an
interest in community.
Concert goers who were young people from the
secondary college have spoken with Mrs Broad and it
is planned for
them to go to Bendigo for an audition. This is an
exciting and unexpected outcome. Our town may well
have a continuing interest in the Bendigo Youth
Choir.
At the end of the performance, Kerry and Chloe Baker
presented Mrs Broad with a basket of local produce.
Valerie was particularly enchanted with the Durham
Ox walnuts because her late husband's family were
from that district.
We are grateful to the Bendigo Youth Choir for their
generosity of spirit, their warmth and their talent.
Thanks also
go to the Bendigo Buslines for the generous rate on
that day.
Heather Vander Reest...........Rector Pyramid
Hill/Boort
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