MUSIC
THREE DAYS OF CHORAL COLLEGIALITY AND REPERTOIRE RENDITIONS
CHOIR CAMP – MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY ON !
It was in February 1995 that the first Choir Camp was held at an outdoor camp in the Dandenong Ranges . Andrew Bainbridge was the new Choral Director , and willingly took on the project . I had been keen for a Choir Camp to happen for some years , but it was Andrew who agreed to run it . A few years later , another Andrew arrived to the same position , to find that Choir Camp had been
booked , and that he was going to run it ! This was the first year at the Old Castlemaine Gaol . The gaol was built in 1861 , and was in service until 1990 . It was modelled on the Pentonville system , and was very easy to supervise ! We had a number of very successful Choir Camps there under Andrew Hunter ’ s expert direction . A few years later , the choir had grown so large that an alternative venue was needed , and we have been at Rutherford Park near Daylesford ever since .
While we celebrated our 25th anniversary of the Choir Camp , our more perceptive readers will have observed that 1995 was in fact 27 years ago ; but because of the pandemic , the 2020 camp could not occur , so this was actually the 26th Choir Camp !
32 Great Scot Issue 163 – September 2021