SUMMER OF SONG

Excitement was in the air as the ABCI Performing Squad arrived for the 2021 January Summer Music School. The YMCA’s Lake Dewar Lodge, in the rolling hills west of Melbourne, was the perfect location for this much anticipated reunion.

Following the cancellation of both May and October Weekend Workshops in 2020, this was the first residential exercise the ABCI had held since Summer School last year. Senior Singers and Choristers spent the customary week away, and were joined part-way by the Kelly Gang and Cambiata.

The boys worked hard on new repertoire and skills, and even took on the challenge of singing each and every entry in the Institute’s collection of Favourite Rounds and Canons. Older participants renewed friendships that had been forged when they were much smaller. Newcomers to the Performing Squad joined in with the enthusiasm and confidence that comes from attending several sequential programs.

Time-honoured Summer School traditions were upheld, with an 11-year-old comedian stealing the show to claim the coveted Skit Night trophy. The tidy and creative room competitions resumed, as did our trivia and movie nights. A high flying-fox was an enjoyable and challenging addition to the roster of outdoor activities, and Mr Christie’s 21st birthday was certainly not forgotten amid the busy schedule.

Music Staff and Caring Team members keenly anticipate working with our younger singers (including several first-time attendees) at the next ABCI Weekend Workshops in Term 4. On the distant horizon is a re-boot of the full Summer School experience: singers of mixed-age groups working together, an opportunity to make new friends, and the mentoring that goes on as they learn from one another. And then there’s the magic that happens when the entire Australian Boys Choral Institute sings as one…

You can click here to view more photos from Summer Camp 2021 or navigate here to learn more and watch videos about our Training Program and Residential Music Schools.