I was a Teenage Choir Nerd
Growing up I have always been singing for one way or another. Its started out as a little kid, was obsessed with music and Mum has video of me dancing around the lounge room with my microphone, twirling the cord (there were no cordless mics in the early 80s!) and singing to my favourite song and one of my first records, Frankie, by Sister Sledge.
Since then I was always in choir at school and sang at church. In high school I was in the vocal ensemble, as well as various small singing groups, as well as the NSW State Vocal Ensemble. I was also in a band for about 6 months back in 2008 but had to leave due to needing more time to organise our wedding.
I've performed at church services, carols by candlelights, official state ANZAC Day ceremonies, the Paralympic games, Schools Spectaculars, Australia Day concerts, Sydney Town Hall, and hundreds of private company functions. Not to mention having performed at my most favourite venue of all, the Sydney Opera House, too many times to count.
Today at The Lounge, over on Robomum's blog the theme is music, so I thought I'd share with you some of the highlights of my 90s singing career!
) In 1994 I was in year 6 and the choir teacher asked me to sing this song at the school's ANZAC Day ceremony. I've never been more nervous in my life. It was my first solo in front of such a huge audience (the entire school as well as members from the local council and the local community) and I almost backed out. But I made it through and that's when my love of performing really took hold.
) When I was in the State Vocal Ensemble we were always singing at various functions around the place and would quite often be performing at the Australia Day concerts in the city. One year we were the choir at the Aus Day concert at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour and we got to sing with a number of famous singers, including Julie Anthony and David Campbell. The most exciting one for me though was getting to sing Love is in the Air with John Paul Young. As a little girl this was one of my favourite songs. I think Mum was pretty thrilled too, just quietly!
) This was a pretty big one hit wonder back in the 90s and of course it was the perfect song to be performed at one of our Church's youth services. I had the honour of performing it. My cousin's friends actually thought that I was the one that had recorded the song as my Uncle, who is a total joker, told them that they had gone to see me perform it, leaving out the fact that I wasn't actually Joan Osborne! They still give me shit for it to this day!
) I know heaps of people don't like Australia's national anthem. I am not one of those people. I LOVE it! Having sung it at so many ceremonies and concerts and occasions, with a full orchestra, and once conducted by Maestro Tommy Thyco (his arrangement is the one you will hear used at most sporting events and national ceremonies) at the Australia Day concert where we sang with John Paul Young (Julie Anthony was the lead singing, we were the choir backing), I have a real sense of pride in our anthem.
My favourite times to sing it was at the ANZAC Day ceremony at the War Memorial in Hyde Park every year, and in 2000, live on The Midday Show. That was awesome! My friend J and I made sure we were in the middle and had the biggest smiles on our faces as we sung, as we knew that a big smile and animated face was the guaranteed way to make sure you got plenty of air-time. Which we did.
) In 1999 the State Vocal Ensemble was asked to record backing vocals for a special, secret project. It wasn't until we got to the recording studio that we found out that this special recording was in fact for the next Silverchair album to be released! If you listen very carefully (like really carefully, you can hardly hear us, I sometimes wonder why they even bothered using it! You can probably hear it better off the album on a stereo rather than through the computer) to their song Anthem for the Year 2000 you can hear the voices of our choir singing in the background in the chorus. We didn't ever get to meet them or see them but it's still pretty cool to say that we sang with Silverchair, and to know that my voice is one of the many in that song.
So that's a little walk down memory lane for ya, a little history of my years as a 90s choir nerd!
Got any musical claims to fame you wanna share?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks so much for stopping by!
If you loved this post then you will love hanging out with me on Facebook!
I promise I post good stuff! So come like. Pretty Please?
Since then I was always in choir at school and sang at church. In high school I was in the vocal ensemble, as well as various small singing groups, as well as the NSW State Vocal Ensemble. I was also in a band for about 6 months back in 2008 but had to leave due to needing more time to organise our wedding.
I've performed at church services, carols by candlelights, official state ANZAC Day ceremonies, the Paralympic games, Schools Spectaculars, Australia Day concerts, Sydney Town Hall, and hundreds of private company functions. Not to mention having performed at my most favourite venue of all, the Sydney Opera House, too many times to count.
Today at The Lounge, over on Robomum's blog the theme is music, so I thought I'd share with you some of the highlights of my 90s singing career!
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
) In 1994 I was in year 6 and the choir teacher asked me to sing this song at the school's ANZAC Day ceremony. I've never been more nervous in my life. It was my first solo in front of such a huge audience (the entire school as well as members from the local council and the local community) and I almost backed out. But I made it through and that's when my love of performing really took hold.
Love is in the air with John Paul Young
) When I was in the State Vocal Ensemble we were always singing at various functions around the place and would quite often be performing at the Australia Day concerts in the city. One year we were the choir at the Aus Day concert at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour and we got to sing with a number of famous singers, including Julie Anthony and David Campbell. The most exciting one for me though was getting to sing Love is in the Air with John Paul Young. As a little girl this was one of my favourite songs. I think Mum was pretty thrilled too, just quietly!
One of Us by Joan Osborne
) This was a pretty big one hit wonder back in the 90s and of course it was the perfect song to be performed at one of our Church's youth services. I had the honour of performing it. My cousin's friends actually thought that I was the one that had recorded the song as my Uncle, who is a total joker, told them that they had gone to see me perform it, leaving out the fact that I wasn't actually Joan Osborne! They still give me shit for it to this day!
Advance Australia Fair
) I know heaps of people don't like Australia's national anthem. I am not one of those people. I LOVE it! Having sung it at so many ceremonies and concerts and occasions, with a full orchestra, and once conducted by Maestro Tommy Thyco (his arrangement is the one you will hear used at most sporting events and national ceremonies) at the Australia Day concert where we sang with John Paul Young (Julie Anthony was the lead singing, we were the choir backing), I have a real sense of pride in our anthem.
My favourite times to sing it was at the ANZAC Day ceremony at the War Memorial in Hyde Park every year, and in 2000, live on The Midday Show. That was awesome! My friend J and I made sure we were in the middle and had the biggest smiles on our faces as we sung, as we knew that a big smile and animated face was the guaranteed way to make sure you got plenty of air-time. Which we did.
Anthem for the Year 2000 by Silverchair
) In 1999 the State Vocal Ensemble was asked to record backing vocals for a special, secret project. It wasn't until we got to the recording studio that we found out that this special recording was in fact for the next Silverchair album to be released! If you listen very carefully (like really carefully, you can hardly hear us, I sometimes wonder why they even bothered using it! You can probably hear it better off the album on a stereo rather than through the computer) to their song Anthem for the Year 2000 you can hear the voices of our choir singing in the background in the chorus. We didn't ever get to meet them or see them but it's still pretty cool to say that we sang with Silverchair, and to know that my voice is one of the many in that song.
So that's a little walk down memory lane for ya, a little history of my years as a 90s choir nerd!
Got any musical claims to fame you wanna share?
And while I've got your attention, why don't you subscribe by email too? All the cool kids are doing it!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Comments
Post a Comment