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August 2012
Dutch Courier liturgy used to be sung in the chapel with Peter Schreiner as the conductor. The Sunday services in the chapel were always packed. During this time there was an organist named Joe Clarke who played for the choir for 12 years. This monthly service was eventually moved to St Joseph’s College in Ferntree Gully. This continued until about 2006. Since that time the choir has had many ups and downs and the number of choir members has changed too. The numbers have returned to where they began with ten choir members. Our conductor for the last twelve months has been Ben Wiegerink, a past member of the choir and Kate Denmead has been the accompanist since 1994.
ST GREGORIUS DUTCH MALE CHOIR 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Sixty years ago, in November 1952, with Christmas approaching, the Choir began. After their migration to Australia, about a dozen single men were living with Father Maas and his secretary Mrs Zeegers in a Dutch formed the choir which became known as the St Gregorius Dutch Male Choir. Gerard Ruivenkamp took on the role of conductor and Music Director and was in this position for many years. Only a few years at Canterbury Town Hall. These would be quite elaborate affairs with costumes, etc. There was an occasion when they performed on `In Melbourne Tonight’ with Graham Kennedy and there were always many charity performances for the community as well as masses held at St Benedicts and St Scholastica’s in Burwood. In the late sixties the Choir started growing slowly to quite a substantial amount of members. In the late seventies a social club was formed to raise money for uniforms, etc. It was a very active social club with Dinner dances at Salesian Collage, Chadstone and Country and Western Nights at Peter Castricam’s farm in Wellington Road Rowville. In the meantime, the Choir practiced a lot of new musical items for our annual Christmas Concert under the direction of Peter Schreiner at the Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash V??fW'6?G??6??F???F?W6RvW&R?v?2w&VB7V66W72v?F?WfW'?6??6W'B&V??r6V???WB?F?R?7B?bF?W6R6??6W'G2v2?V?B??FV6V?&W"??B?GW&??rF?W6RF??W2F?R6???"w&WrF?&?V?BS?V?&W'2?GW&??rF?R?s2?F?W&RvW&R&WGvVV?#R?B3?V?&W'2&7F?6RW6VBF?&R?V?BB6?W6??6???VvR?6?G7F??R??Bv2GW&??rF??2F??RF?B&VwV?"???F??????"CF????fW'6'????SrGWF6???R6??? ??F?R6???"6?V?B??B?fRW??7FVBv?F??WBF?RFV?F?W>( ?v???fR&?f?FVBW2v?F????7W2?bFV?B6?ffVR?fW"F?R?V'2?7W'&V?F???2?F?V?2v??6R?W6&?B?''?v2?V?&W"?bF?R6???"V?F??#???2&VV?6W'f??rW27WW"6??6R??"?F?P??GW&??r??F??2?V"?vR6V?V'&FVBc?V'2?bF?R7Bw&Vv?&?W2GWF6???R6???"'???????rv?F???F?R7W'&V?B?V?&W'2?BF?V?"'F?W'2f?"F???W"?vR???Bw&VB??v?B?WB6V?V'&F??r?B&V???66??r?fW"F?R7Bc?V'2?#"cF????fW'6'?????7BG&?6?( ?26F?VG&?????7FV???6?F??&?B??Wr?F??V?6V?V'&FR6?&?7F?2??F?RGWF6????W"?fF?W"?0??76VB&Vf?&R?F?W26???"v2f?&?VB?BF?B&Vv????6??&??VB6??6W'G2W&f?&?V@??f?'7BFV?G?( ?v2&?WB&7Bv???fVB&?V?BF?R6?&?W"g&??F?R66?WB???????v?7B??Wrv?W&RF?R6???"&V?V'6VBGW&??rF?RV&??V'2?6????VB'??FRFV??VBv?F???f?&?F???g&?????7B?B&W6V?B6???"?V?&W'2????F???2F?F??6RV??Rf?"F?V?"76?7F?6R?&?'F?F?6V?V'&F???2f?"?V"??B6?&?V?FR?&WV??'???66??W&?W??B?2??BWfW'?F?F?B??R&V6V?fR???f?FF???F???R?V?G&VGF?&?'F?F?'G?'WBF?V??GVRF??GF?R?V?F?&?&?V???v2??B&?RF?GFV?B????7FVB?6F??f?Vr?ffW&VBF?w&?FR??FR&?WBF?R'G?F?6V?V'&FRF?R?fR?b6?&?V?FR?&WV?Bf??G'W7B??6''V?F?v?2??F?R#?F??b?V??6?&?V? ( ?2FVv?FW"????r?&?FFR?&WV?????F?&?f?FVB?Rv?F???f?&?F???&?WB6?&?V? ( ?2?fR?6?&?V????R?bV?v?B6???G&V??f?fRv?&?2?BF?&VR&??2?v2&?&???&?GFW&F???F?R#??r??"?'Bg&??6?&?V??????R6?&??r?F?R??V?vW7B6?7FW"v???fW2??vvV???vV??27F????fR?6?'&?R?26?Rv2???v?'??F?B??B?fRv??B7F'B???fR?6?R?BB?"?Bv2??6&Rf?"6??RF??R??B??W2?B????&R&V?&?&?RF?B6?R?fVBF??2???r?F??( ?B???rv?V?6?R?WB?W"?W6&?Bv???V?FR?&WV??v?F?vW"v?F?FV??V"??B&???&?F ( ?2gWGW&R?W6&?B?'WBF?W?vW&R?'&?VB???V??3??6?&?V??Bv???V?F?B??B?fR6???G&V??v???V??B6?'&?R?w&FVB???SRF?&R?V"&????B??2F?V?v?fRF?V???F?W??fVB??v?V??&?2f?"F??R?BfF?W"?B6??vW&R??F?P??7&?76VBF?R?V??&&?"BF??Rv?V?F?W&Rv2?W7Bv?FRF?'B&?B???&?WB?sF?W?vV?BF??????Bf?"???F?F?6VRf???Bg&?V?G2?6F????s"?s0??6?6?f?"W7G&?F?W?6?R&6??B?fVBv?F?&?F?B&???B?BV??f?"F??RF?V???fVBF???&???wF???&Vf?&Rv???V?76VBv???vV?BF?f??G'W7Bv?W&R6?R7F?????fW2F?&R??W"??f??r?B??fVBf??&R&?F?B&????&?F ( ?2Gv?FVv?FW'2?6?W'???B6V?W7FR?w&VB?w&?G6??2??6???2?3"?G&???#R?vW&&B#2?w&VFw&?FFVv?FW"&6?V??#?B??F?W"w&VB?w&VB?w&?G6??( ?7F???6?????~( ?2&?FWB?BV?F??r&?F( ????2??F?Rf??6???W"??2??R&V?&?&?R?G??vR??F?&R?B??fR?W.( ????r?B?2?fW"F?6F?????7V?F?#?F??V?6?'&?RFR?&WV?6V?V'&FVB?W"F?&?'F?F??F??2v2F??R??F?R???Bf??G'W7Bv?W&R6?R?fW2?F?W&RvW&R#&W6?FV?G2g&???WV?V???b2vV??2&?WBBf???Bg&?V?G2??Bv26??&??VBv?F?F?RW7V??7B7V?F?6?6??6?F?W&RvW&R?V?G??b?F?W"V??RF??V?6V?V'&FR?v?V?F?R6?Rv2'&?Vv?B?WB6?'&?Rv2fW'??V6VBv?F?F?Rv??B?B?7GW&R?b?W'6V?b???B??B6?Rv2Bf?'7B&V?V7F?BF?7WB?B?6?R?Bw&VBF??R?BV????VB?W'6V?b?v?V?6?VBv?B?W"&V6?Rf?"?W"???r?fR?26?R6?BF?B6?RF?W2WfW'?F???RBF??R?B?v?2G&?W2F??VW'W7?F???rW???W226?R?????vW"??FW&W7FVB?????GF??r?"7&?6?WF??r?v?V?6?RvV?B&6?F??W"&???6?RF???VBWfW'???Rf?"v??FW&gV?&?'F?F?'G??6F????'V??F??rG&FR?6?'&?Rv2???R6?6??'WB6?B?GF?R&?WB?B&V6W6Rv???V?F?B??Bv?BF?v?&6?F?F?R?WF?W&??G2?&?WB?S?F?W?'V??B??W6R??g&??7F????Bv2??BV?F???cBF?B&?F6?R??F?F?R?7GW&R?6?'&?Rv2FV?v?FVB&V6W6R&?F?BGv??GF?RFVv?FW'2?6?W'???vVBV?v?B?B6V?W7FRvVB6???6?'&?R?W7B??fVBF?V?BF?BF??R6?'&?Rv2v?&???rB???&&&????&??F??r'W6??W72?6???F??r?b&???2WF2???&?WB?cRF?W?FV6?FVBF?6V??F?V?"g&??7F????W6R?B'V??B??W6RB'?R?v???V??B6?'&?R??fVB6???r?B?gFV?vV?Bv??@??v???V??B7G&??R?BF?W?6??BF?V?"???R??'?R2?Rv?FVBF?v?&6?F??????BF??fR?'?F??2F??R6?'&?RF?B??Bv?BF?v?&6?26?Rv2???W&R?B?B???g&?V?G2????P??F?RF??b?7F?&W"??B?6?'&?R?B6&VBf?"???B???Rf?"???7BGvV?G??V'2V?F???R?VVFVB7V6??6&R?Bv2F?GFVBF??W'6??r???R?6?'&?R7F?VB???W"V??BV?F???V?R#v?V?6?P??wwr?GWF6?6?W&?W"?6???