About The Peacemakers
Join us for an inspirational weekend of choral singing!
Hastings Choristers invites choral singers to beautiful Port Macquarie for this very special weekend. Paul Holley and other expert tutors will workshop The Peacemakers - a powerful choral work by Karl Jenkins. A concert performance with orchestra will round off the experience, to be held in the town’s world-class venue, the Glasshouse, over two days of musical camaraderie.
Karl Jenkins - Composer
Karl Jenkins is a highly esteemed Welsh musician and composer. He writes of this work, “The Peacemakers is dedicated to the memory of all those who lost their lives during armed conflict: in particular, innocent civilians. … One line, from Rumi (the 13th-century Persian mystic poet whose words I have set) sums up the ethos of the piece: ‘All religions, all singing one song: Peace be with you’. The search was on to find messengers of peace. A handful of obvious figures came to mind, such as Gandhi, Mandela and Martin Luther King, followed by such iconic and inspiring people as Mother Teresa and Anne Frank and the net was cast to find other ‘peacemakers’.”
The world premiere of this seventeen-movement choral work took place in New York City's Carnegie Hall in January, 2012.
Paul Holley OAM
(Photo Credit: Maxine McCabe)
Paul Holley is a choral conductor, educator and motivator. His personal warmth and passion for choral music have inspired many singers to discover and develop their skills and achieve personal fulfilment. Presently Paul is the Associate Director of Voices of Birralee and conducts Birralee Blokes and Resonance of Birralee. Both these ensembles have toured nationally and internationally, representing Australia at festivals and competitions. Paul is also the Principal Conductor of the national youth choir, Gondwana Chorale.
Paul regularly features as guest conductor and clinician at festivals, conferences and music competitions throughout Australia. In 2010, Paul was a guest conductor at ANCA’s Choralfest, also held in the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie, and in 2013 he returned here to inspire us all with Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man. Hastings Choristers is delighted to welcome Paul back to the Mid North Coast to workshop and conduct The Peacemakers.
Registrations close strictly on Monday 27 May, or when the maximum number has been reached.
You can also purchase audience concert tickets for your family and friends at the Glasshouse Box Office, available HERE.
Proposed program for the weekend:
Saturday 8 June
8.30 -9.00: Registration
9.00 - 10.30: Combined introductory rehearsal for all singers
10.30 - 11.00: Morning tea (provided)
11.00 - 12.30: Sectional workshops
12.30 - 2.00: Break for lunch
2.00 - 3.30: Sectional workshops
3.30 - 4.00: Afternoon tea (provided)
4.00 - 5.30: Combined choral rehearsal
Sunday 9 June
9.30 - 10.30: Combined rehearsal with orchestra
10.30 - 11.00: Morning tea (provided)
11.00 - 12.30: Combined rehearsal with orchestra
12.30 - 1.30: Break for lunch
1.30 - 3.00: Combined rehearsal with orchestra
3.30 - 5.00: Technical concert run-through
7.00 - 9.00: The Peacemakers public concert
Your registration includes:
- Choral score to the Peacemakers (we will post this to you a short time after you register)
- A performance t-shirt (to be collected on arrival at the event)
- Workshops on Saturday and Sunday
- Morning and afternoon tea on Saturday, morning tea on Sunday
- Participation in the massed choir at our public performance on Sunday evening
What to bring:
- Your registration ticket (which will be emailed to you)
- Your music for the Peacemakers
- A pencil
- Water in a refillable bottle
- Lunch, or money to buy it!
- Wear comfy clothes on Saturday and Sunday throughout the rehearsals
- Sunday concert - wear your concert t-shirt and black trousers or a long black skirt (below the knee) and black shoes.
Numbers are strictly limited so register early!
Please send any questions to Adele at adelecmiles@gmail.com