FROM THE CHAIR

This has been a great year for the Australian Boys Choral Institute. Having emerged from the fog of two years of COVID-19-induced lockdowns, separation from friends and family, and lack of live music, the Choir has had a full programme of outstanding concerts in 2022.

I thoroughly enjoyed the last performance of the year: “Home for the Holidays” on Saturday, 10 December at the Melbourne Recital Centre. The high calibre of the performances after such a long break, is a testament to the skills of our music staff, led by Artistic Director, Mr. Nicholas Dinopoulos. They maintained an excellent online programme during those two long years, and have inspired and given confidence to the Choir, to perform at this high level again.

An impact of the pandemic was that two thirds of volunteers in Australia stopped giving their time to assist not-for-profit organisations, such as the Australian Boys Choral Institute. Like many similar institutes, we depend on the goodwill of our community, to run smoothly. We have lost many helpers over this time, and the skill sets and confidence of those who do put their hand up have been affected. Fortunately, our wonderful administrative staff, led by General Manager, Ms. Liz Lindner have encouraged new parents to assist, still many more volunteers are needed.

Similarly, financial hardship amongst the donor community has had a significant impact on the amount of philanthropic donations received. The Oxford dictionary defines philanthropy as ‘the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes’. The concept of monetary philanthropy in Australia is a more recent phenomenon, compared to ‘older’ Western civilisations. Philanthropy is a key factor in the success of many arts organisations in Western Europe. Many post-war refugees from Europe have continued this tradition, upon establishing themselves in Australia. Similarly, immigrants to the USA have engendered a tradition of benevolence, which has fostered superb artistic endeavours in that country. As John F. Kennedy said, ‘The raising of extraordinarily large sums of money, given voluntarily and freely by millions of our fellow Americans, is a unique American tradition. Philanthropy, charity, giving voluntarily and freely… is truly a jewel of an American tradition.’ I hope that this, will become an Australian tradition.

The Australian Boys Choral Institute is blessed with many people who generously donate their time or their money for the benefit of others. We are extremely grateful to these volunteers, donors and the bequeathals that enable us to continue to educate the next generation of singers and men.

Thank you all.

Stephen Duffy, ABCI Board Chair