Last night the Chamber Choir met for a special pre-season dinner to celebrate its 10th birthday.

Conducted by Music Director Christopher Bowen, with membership refreshed through annual audition, and with quality supported through extra rehearsals and its very own rehearsal conductor (leader and founder the very wonderful Ros Moxham), the Sydney University Graduate Choir chamber choir has for a decade provided extra opportunities for singers and audiences alike to experience diverse choral music.

The chamber choir has performed at many Sydney University events; the ABC Choir of the Year (2006) in which they were NSW finalists; at Music Clubs, charity events and celebrations; several times at extensions to the Maritime Museum’s Welcome Wall; and of course singing sections of major works at SUGC subscription concerts in order to provide extra colour and intimacy to the performance of the main choir.

The dinner at Leichhart’s Café Gioia – thanks Pamela! – was thoroughly informal and light on speeches and ceremony (none actually!), a group of friends catching up on stories of the summer holidays, the trauma of returning to work and anticipation of the year of singing ahead. Not to mention close monitoring of the Queensland election results and, of course, the Asian Cup Final! In fact it was so much fun, we shouldn’t wait 10 years for the next one ….

Leader and rehearsal conductor, Ros Moxham (right) with co-ordinator Jan Axon

When Music Director Christopher Bowen (right) and repertoire and graphics guru Christoph Kaufmann put their heads together, great things follow…..

The Chamber Choir includes awesome altos…

… sweetly smiling sopranos …

… and boyish basses (with Ros!)

… there is experience and wisdom …

… youth and glamour …

Chamber Choir singers are generous (look – we left you some pizza!)

… and some can even fly!

Many thanks to aerobatic photographer Catherine O’Doherty!