The Prom Coast Singers is a Foster based choir whose members basically want to sing plus also to improve their voices and enjoy exploring and performing good music.
With the pending retirement of our founding Musical Director, Paddy Broberg, there is great enthusiasm from members to keep the choir active, taking on new challenges and at the same time sharing the cheerful company of other music lovers.
PCS needs a Director with sound choral and general musical skills to continue to inspire a disparate group of people with a common love of singing and a willingness to work hard to achieve their best.
The Choir
The Prom Coast Singers, now 30 to 40 strong, attracts singers of many and varied backgrounds from all over South Gippsland and is wholly unauditioned. Rehearsal is generally on Tuesday nights at Foster for two to four months before a performance, in the Anglican Church Hall. Other separate rooms are used for section rehearsals and choir members are available to conduct these. PCS owns its own Yamaha Clavinova piano to ensure a high standard instrument is available for concerts and also rehearsal. Costs of music, copyright and insurance are covered by a small levy collected at each rehearsal from all members.
Members willingly accept responsibility for routine functions such as finance, maintaining the Music Library, photocopying, hall setup, publicity, ticket sales and piano moving. Close relations are maintained with FAMDA (Foster Amateur Music and Drama Association) to which PCS is affiliated. A small committee has been set up to oversee the day to day running of the choir and assist the Musical Director.
Musical Director
The Musical Director has the responsibility to plan the choir’s musical activities including the selection of music as well as the conduct of rehearsals and to direct the final performances. Local musicians have been very willing to perform with the PCS and the Director is expected to work with them when appropriate. The position is not salaried although travel expenses can be met.
History
In November 1997, FAMDA staged a highly successful production of the Broadway musical, Annie, with Neil Goodwin as director and Paddy Broberg as the musical director. The next year several of the Annie cast members found they really missed the fun and camaraderie of the rehearsal and performance process. Their frustration got the better of them and they besieged Paddy with requests to let them sing again and, one evening in April 1998, eight former members of the Annie cast and crew met at Foster Primary School for the first sing-along of what was to become the Prom Coast Singers.
Under the umbrella of FAMDA with the guidance of Paddy Broberg, the Singers’ initial performances were in conjunction with community carols in Foster and Toora and singing for the residents of Banksia Lodge and Rose Lodge, Wonthaggi. It was not until Sunday 15 October 2000 that the choir presented its first paid performance in the form of a benefit concert held at the FWMAC in aid of the South Gippsland Hospital and Toora Nursing Home Auxiliaries.
The Singers’ December 2001 project was an impressive performance of Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols in Christ Church Foster.
In July 2003 the choir combined with the South Gippsland Wind Orchestra to present mid-winter concerts at the Dakers Centre in Leongatha as well as the Foster Arts Centre with PCS performing exerpts from Carmina Burana. This dramatic work was revisited in October when the South Gippsland Singers combined with PCS for a concert in Mesley Hall Leongatha as part of the world-wide choral phenomenon, Voices for Hospices and it was on the program again for the very special 10th Anniversary Concert – 17 August 2008.
Essence of Folk was the title for the program presented by the Singers in 2004. The choir performed in Poowong and Glen Alvie and the next week, on 27 June, they shared the stage with the Bec Bone Singers back in Foster at the FWMAC.
Fauré’s Requiem and Borodin’s Polovtsienne Dances were on the bill when PCS sang in the Foster Anglican Church on 15 May 2005. The following weekend they sang those works in concerts with the South Gippsland Singers and the Korumburra Primary School Choir at Mesley Hall and the Inverloch Community Centre.
The 2005 Voices for Hospices concert had Prom Coast Singers combining with the South Gippsland Singers and the Warragul Chorale for a concert showcasing each choir and featuring music specially composed by Larry Hills for all three choirs.
In the 2007 SeaChange Festival, the Prom Coast Singers demonstrated the diversity of their repertoire in a concert billed as From Pop to Op(era) and performed Paddy Broberg’s original music in the exciting multi-media Fire Up! project. The Singers also performed at the Mossvale Park Music for the People concert.
2008 saw members taking part in FAMDA’s widely acclaimed production of The Producers with Pam Coad as Chorus Mistress and other members providing the offstage chorus.
2009 projects included the multi-arts spectacular, Promontory Dreaming, contributing to FAMDA’s production of Into the Woods and in community carols at Christmas.
In between times there have been many happy nights of rehearsals with the challenge of learning to sing the right notes and the right words whether they be in English, African, French, German, Italian or Latin. PCS have sung at community carol services, funerals and in FAMDA musicals with performances in Foster, Glen Alvie, Inverloch, Korrumburra, Leongatha, Mossvale Park, Poowong, Toora, Warragul and Wonthaggi.
Expressions of Interest Wanted
To continue this rich music making history the Prom Coast Singers are now seeking a Director with sound choral and general musical skills to continue to inspire us by planning our musical activities, including the selection of music, as well as conducting rehearsals and directing the ultimate performances.
The position is not salaried although travel expenses can be met.
The Choir also wishes to hear from people willing to work as rehearsal pianists.
Anyone interested in working as either the choral director or rehearsal pianist for the Prom Coast Singers is invited to contact Andrew Jamieson 5683 2683 or acjammo {@] ozemail.com.au
