FROM THE CHAIR

While the COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering social and financial effects have not yet ebbed, the Australian Boys Choir is back in full swing with an outstanding year of concerts planned. The first performance of the 2023 concert season, Songs for the Open Road, headlined by The Vocal Consort, with guest appearances by the Australian Boys Choir and the ABCI Training Groups was a great success. The fabulous Edge theatre at Federation Square was a magnificent venue. Owing to our recent and ongoing collaboration with the Australian Digital Concert Hall and excellent ticket sales, the concert was watched and listened to by over 600 people, which is a great achievement for our first concert of the year. Our Artistic Director, Mr Nicholas Dinopoulos led the performance with aplomb, as always. Many of the boys are unaccustomed to professional performance as the Choir renews, but all the performers were in wonderful voice, a credit to our talented and dedicated music staff who have kept our boys and young men in concert readiness throughout the last few challenging years.

The Australian Boys Choral Institute is the governing body responsible for the Australian Boys Choir. The ABCI Board meets monthly to help guide the careful development of the organisation. This includes considering opportunities and issues related to strategic governance, operational oversight, managing budgets, financial sustainability, setting policies, setting goals, measuring progress and celebrating achievements. The ABCI Board currently has six dedicated and caring volunteer Directors, who invest their time and abilities ensuring that the ABC thrives for another 84 years and beyond. We are blessed to have a group of outstanding individuals representing a cross-section of excellent skills on the ABCI Board.

Most of our ABCI Directors stay in their position for years…indeed, some in the past for decades! This is wonderful for the continuity of the Choir, by helping preserve our corporate knowledge. However, from time to time it is prudent to refresh the Board with new members who bring fresh ideas and renewed energy to the task at hand. We are very fortunate indeed to have recruited a new ABCI Director recently, who I am sure will bring new energy and perspectives to the ABCI Board. You may recall that Mr Tim Matthews Staindl penned a fundraising letter you would have received in December 2022. Those with longer memories and associations with the Choir will know that Tim previously served as Head Chorister of the Australian Boys Choir. That is quite an honour as there have only been five Head Choristers in the ABC’s 84-year history. The rank of Head Chorister recognises boys who have shown exemplary leadership, and it is a rarely conferred honour. Tim went on to complete a music degree, sing in The Vocal Consort, and was a music tutor at the ABCI. Following that, Tim studied law and is now a practising barrister. Thus, he brings much knowledge about the ABCI and many capabilities to complement the ‘skills matrix’ of the ABCI Board. To our knowledge Tim may be the first person to work his way from the rank of Probationer all the way through to a Board Member of the ABCI. I welcome him on your behalf, and I look for-ward to working with him and the other ABCI Directors.

Professor Stephen Duffy, ABCI Board Chair