DANCING IN THE SKY

Second Tenor Clyde Saniga, a member of The Vocal Consort (TVC) for the past year, says he would never want to lose the joy that singing with Consort brings him.

‘Group singing enables me to dance in the sky! Listening to where my voice sits with my fellow Tenor twos and then listening to how it resonates and interacts with everyone else is like seeing 3D images of vibrant colour and texture where we are all dancing together.’

His powerful description represents a vital part of choral singing, which can be applied to diverse areas of life: supporting others through listening to them. Clyde adds that since joining the ABCI as a Grade Two student in 2011, the Choir’s supportive environment has been the platform for a joyful, community based musical journey.

‘My peers have always been a great source of inspiration on how to live life supporting the people around you,’ he says, adding that current ABCI Artistic Director Nicholas Dinopoulos and past Director Noel Ancell have both been significant mentors for him in this regard.

‘Mr D has exhibited how to run large ensembles through kindness and thoughtfulness, as well as the importance of deep stylistic knowledge to get to the heart of every piece. Mr Ancell [showed me] how to enjoy choir and its community while striving for excellence in all aspects of choral singing.’

Clyde has studied Jazz Saxophone at the University of Melbourne and in 2022 began working as a Tyro tutor at ABCI. He is interested in what he describes as ‘minimalist choral music composition and raw improvisation’ and he hopes to become a full-time performer across many styles and genres. He has come a long way from being a Junior Singer who wanted to quit almost as soon as he was promoted to Senior Singers.

‘I vowed that after one week in the Performing Squad, I would most probably leave! But the Choir was incredible to be a part of, socially and musically’

Clyde says being in the Performing Squad was a ‘unique experience’ and one that he found rewarding in numerous ways.

‘[You’re] doing the most major choral compositions throughout history at a very young age. And being in Senior Singers was when I started to form lifelong friends and memories.’

Clyde says one of his favourite memories was performing Benjamin Britten’s Missa Brevis at a small church in Ferntree Gully. He says the piece resonated with him personally and the boys sounded like ‘one voice’. They had just come off a tour, a time that Clyde remembers, lifted their singing to new heights – as evidenced in a performance ‘for’ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) in Germany.

‘Singing Bach in front of his grave was crazy! There also were some awesome large works we performed with small groups of instruments, which was very cool. It was also amazing to sing with indigenous people south of Alice Springs.’

He hopes ABCI and TVC will continue to be an integral part of choral music performances around Australia and the world, underpinning the musical careers of more and more singers like him.

‘ABCI has given me the very useful tools of being able to function efficiently and enjoyably in all choral settings,’he says, adding that it has also given him a ‘very strong ear’ that’s allowed him to move fluently into the world of jazz music.'I also have frequent gigs with my band Fluxcore 94, which plays funk, groove-based music. [And] I have also been singing in churches recently.’

As for singing with TVC, he says the fun and relationships built, as well as the music, keeps him excited to be involved.

'Everyone is of a refreshingly similar choral ability of excellence, so the sound and attention to detail rings out! It is a great opportunity to catch up with very close friends on a regular basis. I feel much more relaxed and at home singing with TVC than anywhere else. Singing is indeed a necessary food for my soul.’