PERFORMING SQUAD MEMBER ALEXANDER

Alexander is a Senior Singer in the Australian Boys Choir Performing Squad. He is thrilled to be performing in the next exciting instalment of the 2023 ABCI Concert Season ‘Sing Joyfully’ on August 19 & 20 in both Bendigo and Melbourne.

Alex, when did you join the ABCI?
I joined the Australian Boys Choir in February 2017.

What do you enjoy most about coming to Choir?
What I enjoy most about coming to choir is the fact that there is a room full of people who accept me for who I am and what I like to do. To arrive at that every Monday, and Friday may not seem like a lot, but to me it means the whole world.

What is one of the most important things you've learned in the ABCI about being a singer?
The most important thing I have learnt at the Australian Boys Choir is to focus on details. Whether they are big or even tiny, that is what separates the ABCI from other choirs.

How is choir different from school?
Choir is different from school in the way that everyone has one common interest that we can bond over instantly, and that makes for life-long friendships.

What are you most looking forward to about this next concert 'Sing Joyfully’?
The thing that I am most looking forward to in the ‘Sing Joyfully’ Concert is that a few of the songs are in German. Even though I have done many songs throughout my years in the Australian Boys Choir that are in Italian, these German songs have stood out as the most fascinating, and enjoyable non-English songs that I have done.

What's rewarding about singing in a choir?
The rewarding part of singing in a choir is that it gives me the skills to know about singing in a professional way.

What is the Vocal Consort like behind-the-scenes?
The Vocal Consort is a mixture of both fun and serious in the way that they know how to be funny and enjoyable to be around, but when it is time to work, they become serious. They show you that they know what they are doing and have put in the effort.

Who are your favourite singers and why?
My favourite singers would have to be Louis Armstrong and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

What about your hobbies and activities outside singing?
My hobbies outside of singing are researching, studying, and writing about Maritime History, writing novels, and learning about Environmental related subjects.

What do you hope to do with your singing after you move on from the Performing Squad?
I hope that after I move on from the Performing Squad, that I can properly learn how to sing opera.

What advice do you have for boys hoping to make it to the rank of Senior Singer?
My advice for boys aiming to make it to the rank of Senior Singer is this: Yes, you have to give it your all. Yes, you will have to sacrifice some things for Choir. And yes, you will have to study your material during the week, but the thing you cannot forget is to have fun along the way. As Tommy Bolin said, “if you're not having fun, it’s not worth doing it”. Going to Choir shouldn’t feel like a chore, it should feel like something that you want to do.

Mozart: Litaniae Lauretanae, K.109 - Sancta Maria (2022) from Australian Boys Choir on Vimeo.