Conductor: Andrew Wailes
Accompanist: Joshua van Konkelenberg
Rehearsal Assistant: Matthew Toogood
Founded in 1939 when the university's men's and women's glee clubs merged, the Melbourne University Choral Society (MUCS) has established a reputation as one of Melbourne's leading large choirs, and has brought an exciting blend of youthful energy and musical skill to many works throughout more than six decades of existence.
Joining
A non-auditioning choir, MUCS exists to offer both students and interested members of the community the chance to learn and perform choral music in a friendly and relaxed environment - irrespective of age, experience or profession. Under the direction of Andrew Wailes, the choir has performed music from all the important periods in musical history, and has given numerous first performances of new works by young Australian composers. Rehearsals take place every Wednesday evening from 6.45pm to 9.30pm in the West Hall of St. Mary's College, University of Melbourne. For more information, contact MUCS c/- The Secretary, Box 51 Union House, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010. or Committee@mucs.aicsa.org.au
Performances
MUCS usually gives at least 3 major performances a year, complemented by a number of smaller additional concerts or appearances. Performances are either fully produced by MUCS, usually featuring professional soloists and orchestras; or joint performances with other engaging bodies, such as the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, The Melbourne Symphony, Independent Classics, the University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, Australian Classical Players, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RMIT's & Monash University's Choral Societies. Some of these performances have subsequently been broadcast on Melbourne's classical radio station, 3MBS-FM. Members of MUCS have also participated in other performances including AFL grand-finals, the Melbourne Comedy Festival, The Last Night of the Proms with The Royal Philharmonic Choir at the Melbourne Town Hall and various charity performances. Other projects to have involved the choir include numerous recordings for film and television. In 2001 MUCS was engaged to sing the Age Family Concerts for the Melbourne Symphony at the Melbourne Concert Hall.
Major works performed by the choir in recent years
- Handel's Messiah
- Dixit Dominus and Judas Maccabæus (with the Vivaldi Chamber Orchestra)
- Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri
- Puccini's Messa di Gloria
- Mozart's Requiem, and "Great" Mass in C Minor
- Melbourne premiere of Carl Vine's Choral Symphony (with the Stonnington Symphony)
- Verdi's Requiem
- Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem
- Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, (with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic and Melbourne Youth Orchestra)
- Haydn's The Creation (with the Collegium Chamber Orchestra)
- Mahler's Symphony No. 2
- Brahms Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) with the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra
- A variety concert for the University of Melbourne's 150th anniversary celebrations
- Mozart's Requiem and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem in St Patrick's Cathedral for the Victorian Cancer Council's Daffodil Day Remembrance Concerts
- A concert of songs and spirituals at Melba Hall
- Mozart's arrangement of Handel's Messiah with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra in Melbourne Town Hall
- Carl Vine's Choral Symphony and Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe with the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra
- Haydn's Te Deum, Rutter's Gloria and Mozart's Vespers with RMIT's & Monash University's Choral Societies and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Handel's Coronation Anthems and the Melbourne premier of John Peterson's In Visible Darkness (from Shadows & Light) with the Yale Glee Club from USA
- Rachmaninov's The Bells with Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra
- Christmas Choral Music from Russia & Ukraine with the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral Choir of Melbourne
Reviews
Many of these concerts have been met with enthusiastic reviews:
"The Choral Society had moments of mystical beauty...(they) touched the poignancy button... Conductor Andrew Wailes coaxed some creditable dynamic ranges and phrasing...under Wailes' musical persuasion, the choir had crisp diction and dynamics" Xenia Hanusiak, The Herald-Sun
"Each of the choral lines came across with precision and warmth...the choir's competence was tellingly displayed..." Clive O'Connell, The Age
"...the orchestra and choir produced a performance that was of exceptional quality...The choir, prepared by Andrew Wailes, produced an excellent, blended tone" Joel Crotty, The Age
'The choral forces made a splendid sound in the great outbursts that occur ..........the large body produced some exhilarating moments. Singing in Russian, the singers complemented the VCA players in bringing to vivid life this remarkable, rarely heard masterwork.' Clive O'Connell, The Age
Intervarsity Choral Movement
MUCS is one of the founding choirs of the Australian Intervarsity Choral Movement, www.aicsa.org.au . Each year
members participate in the Intervarsity Choral Festival in a different capital city. Performances in recent
years have included:
Concerts with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in Hobart
Verdi's Requiem with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane
Berstein's Mass with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Adelaide
Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil, Vespers - Opus 37 in Sydney
Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 in Canberra
Dvorak's Stabat Mater with the Prague Chamber Orchestra in Perth.
Kodály's Missa Brevis and Bruckner's Mass in E Minor and a capella concert in Melbourne
Fanshawe's African Sanctus and Handel's Israel in Egypt in Adelaide
