Endeavour Harmony Chorus has been awarded the title of Australian Champion Chorus for the fifth time at the 2017 national competition held in Perth in May.
And this week the choir has won the Sydney Eisteddfod last Sunday for the second year in a row.
The awards prove the versatility of the Endeavour Harmony Choral singers.
Choir spokeswoman Pam Snellgrove said while the Australian championships judge barbershop acapella, the Sydney Eisteddfod is open to all types of choral singing.
After a year of preparation, 69 members of the group attend the annual Sweet Adelines International event which attracted 16 choruses from all over the country.
The group came in first place chorus with 665 points.
The win secures the ensemble a place in the international championships to be held in St Louis in 2018.
The chorus gained a Top 10 placing in 2015 on the International Stage, a first for an Australian Chorus.
On stage in Perth, the group performed a package of two songs’ Love Letters Straight From Your Heart and Ain’t He Sweet/Yes Sir That’s My Baby (Medley).
The four international judges scored them in the categories of Music, Sound, Expression and Showmanship and they were awarded the highest points of the competition and a standing ovation from the audience.
With only six minutes on stage to shine, it was crucial that they worked hard and smart in the 12 month lead up with regular rehearsals and coaching in the pursuit of excellence.
Endeavour Harmony Chorus were crowned winners of The John Lamble Foundation Australasian Open Choral Championship, with their performances of Queen's Somebody to Love, Love Letters Straight From Your Heart by Victor Young, Sway by Pablo Beltran Ruiz and Fix You by Guy Berryman, Chris Martin, Jon Buckland and Will Champion.
Urban Voices took out second place, Sydney Vocal Project, was awarded third and Brigidine College Alumni Choir forth.
All four performed at a particularly high level making it very hard for the judges to decide on the placings.
The choir has more than 80 members and is hoping to find new voices to join before the end of June when rehearsals start for the 2018 international championships in St Louis.
A recent new member drive brought nine new members to the group, including a number of younger members and there are now three sets of mothers and daughters singing together in Endeavour Harmony Chorus.
“We have been actively seeking younger members to join the chorus, not realising that some of their mothers were also very good singers and joined as well,” the choir’s master director, Lea Baker said.
The youngest member Emma is 14. Her mother Pam joined the group when Emma was only 6 months old.
Pam recalls it being a struggle to take on a challenging hobby with young children but says that the chorus “provided a welcome relief from the household chores and 24 hour childcare”
and that having recently moved to Australia from the UK at that time, “80 new female friends was an added bonus.”
Ida is 17 and sings baritone. Her mother Cecilie says, “I wanted to sing in a high achieving chorus and improve my vocal skills.
“I love singing with other women and exchanging tips on how to improve my vocal production. I am blessed to have my daughter in the choir. She is a baritone and I am a lead, so one day we might sing in a quartet.”
Two other new members who joined this year are Maria and her daughter Valentina. “I really enjoy music and singing and it was time to focus on me as opposed to family and work,” Maria said.
“I so look forward to Tuesday nights.”
At a recent rehearsal her daughter Valentina told other members that what she loved about Endeavour is that “there are so many different people you can learn from, and with Musical Director Lea Baker providing musical insight, I feel as though there's always something interesting to take from rehearsal, whether it be a breathing technique, understanding the music or projecting your voice.
“I have always been a singer, however, out of all my experience in choirs, singing lessons and musical dancing groups, I feel I have learnt more in a few months with Lea than anywhere else.”
Information about joining the chorus can be found on the website: endeavourharmony.com and Tuesday night rehearsals are held at the Jannali Uniting Church in Box Road.
