BEHIND THE DECADES
The Australian Boys Choir was founded in October 1939 and has pursued excellence for over eight decades.
In 2014, a dedicated team of volunteers and staff worked for over a year to design an exhibition and program to commemorate the Australian Boys Choir 75th year. That team devoted hundreds of hours to the design of an exhibition design and program, celebrating the choirs' history as Australia's 'first and finest' boys' choir.
We hope you enjoy perusing these beautifully crafted stories as your journey with us behind the decades.
As one of Australia’s finest lyric coloratura tenors, Henry Choo has received widespread critical acclaim, his voice described as “blossoming with colour and honey sweetness,” akin to “vocal gold.”
My relationship with singing and music began with The Australian Boys Choir. Every Saturday morning, instead of standing on a sporting field, I explored and learnt about the intricate world of music through singing.
Derek Welton’s music career has well and truly taken off, having secured a fixed contract with one of the major German opera houses starting in September 2015.
As an internationally acclaimed tenor, Dominic Natoli is accustomed to life in the limelight, entertaining audiences throughout Europe, the USA, Australasia, Japan and South East Asia for over 30 years.
I auditioned for the Australian Boys Choir at the age of eight, singing My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music. My Choir weekends began straight after school each Friday, with a commute involving two buses and a tram to reach Choir House.
Like most boys, Chris Burgess joined the Choir at around 9 years of age after choir representatives visited his school. In Chris’s case the school visitors were actually from another boys choir but he auditioned and was selected for the Australian Boys Choir. He was fortunate to tour internationally twice.
Elwynne Stafford is well placed to comment on the recurring themes of the Australian Boys Choir. Her family’s involvement has spanned over 50 years and all five Music Directors and she was appointed an Honorary Life Member of the ABCI in 2017.
Graham Cox began his career as an accompanist… to himself, as a 9 year old Probationer with the Australian Boys Choir.