African Drumming Club
Chinese Music Group
Choral Society
Engineering Music Society
Music Students Society
African Drumming Club
The Melbourne University African Drumming Club was founded approximately twelve years ago. The group meets for a professionally instructed rehearsal every Wednesday night between 5:30pm and 7:00pm, the venue to be confirmed.
The rehearsals, led by Chris Lesser, are to teach all aspects of traditional music from Ghana, West Africa, i.e. drumming, singing, dancing and information about how it fits into the African culture. Chris’s interest in a variety of West African musical forms, both as a teacher and performer, is long standing. He has undertaken several study tours of Ghana and his workshops have been very popular at a variety of Victorian institutions including the University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts.
The club performs many times a year, generally under the performance name ‘Kwesi Bruni’. These performances are for both activities within the University, and occasionally the group is hired by external organisations.
Membership of the African Drumming Club is not limited to just students of the University of Melbourne, anybody can join and new members are always welcome. No previous experience in music or dance is necessary and all equipment is supplied by the instructor.
The African Drumming Club
Mailbox 103
First Floor
Union House
University of Melbourne Vic 3010
info@afrodrumming.com.au
www.afrodrumming.com.au
Chinese Music Group
Chinese Music Group (CMG) is a non-profit organization that provides students with the opportunity to participant in various Chinese cultural and music-related activities.
Each year CMG organises several free events such as live concerts, band shows and a song writing competition, as these events provide students with the unique opportunity to present their music to the public. Beginning in 2001, karaoke competitions have also been organised on a yearly basis. The highlight of the year is however, CMG’s Annual Production, which showcases the musical skills and acting abilities of our members, as well as the multiple talents of our production crew.
CMG also actively participates in activities organised by the Student Union and has performed in activities such as Orientation Day, Discovery Day and MUDfest. In recent years, CMG has also been invited by Melbourne University Overseas Student Society (MUOSS) to perform during the Night Market and Festival of Nations.
CMG is definitely a place for music lovers to gather and mingle with each other. Regular meetings that include social gatherings, club activities and performance rehearsals all offer committee members, actors, dancers and musicians the chance to immerse themselves in the CMG ‘family’. That said, CMG is currently the only Chinese group of its kind in Melbourne.
Chinese Music Group
Mailbox 8
First Floor
Union House
University of Melbourne Vic 3010
chinesemusicgroup@yahoo.com
Choral Society
The Melbourne University Choral Society has established a reputation as one of Melbourne’s leading large choirs.
It has brought an exciting blend of youthful energy and musical skill to many works throughout almost seven decades of existence. A non-auditioned choir, MUCS provides students and staff of Melbourne University and the wider community the opportunity to study and perform fine choral works, and to experience ensemble performance.
We produce three major concerts a year, complemented by a number of smaller additional concerts or appearances, which are often fully produced by MUCS, usually featuring professional soloists and orchestras. We also regularly collaborate with distinguished and complementary organisations, both locally- and internationally-based, including the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra.
MUCS is privileged to be led by choral director Andrew Wailes and accompanied by Matthew Toogood. Andrew is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading conductors specialising in symphonic choral repertoire. Among other responsibilities, he holds the position of Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra. Matthew, also MUCS’ Assistant Conductor, is the Artistic Director and Conductor of several Melbourne choruses and Choirmaster of the Faculty Choir at the University of Melbourne.
Main concerts confirmed for 2008 include a joint performance with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra at the Melbourne Town Hall in October. The repertoire: Verdi’s Quattro Pezzi Sacri (Four Sacred Pieces) and the Hymn of the Nations, and Kodály’s Budavari Te Deum.
Early in 2008, MUCS and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra jointly played host to Akademisches Orchesters der Universität Stuttgart, together producing a highly-successful concert at the beautifully-refurbished St Mary’s Star of the Sea. We performed Bruckner’s rousing Te Deum, Schubert’s Mass in A-Flat Major and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony in A major Op.92. In June, we performed with the acclaimed Hong Kong Baptist University Choir (on its first Australian tour) and The Australian Catholic University Choir, one of MUCS’ sister choirs. Other musical ensembles with which we have performed in recent years include Harvard’s Collegium Musicum, Yale’s Glee Club, and the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra.
Repertoire highlights from the recent past include Mozart’s stately Missa Solemnis, John Rutter’s spectacular Gloria, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Carl Vine’s massive Choral Symphony, as well as world premiere performances of works by several Australian composers.
MUCS is one of the founding choirs of the Australian Intervarsity Choral Movement. Each year, a strong delegation of MUCS members actively participates in the Intervarsity Choral Festival.
Of course, it’s not all serious stuff. Every week after rehearsal we head off to the pub or to a choristers house for coffee, lots of Tim Tams, and good conversation. There are other social events, including Camps, the Annual Dinner, video nights, Baking Competitions, Home Brew Competitions, Trivia Nights and of course each January, the Intervarsity Choral Festival, in which hordes of choristers from universities all over Australia descend on a capital city and sing, socialise and wreak general havoc for two weeks.
If all this sounds good come to rehearsal: Wednesday, 6:45pm St. Mary’s College West Hall (off Tin Alley). Absolutely no musical experience is required – you don’t even need to read music.
Choral Society
Mailbox 51
First Floor
Union House
University of Melbourne Vic 3010
mucs@mucs.aicsa.org.au
www.mucs.aicsa.org.au
Engineering Music Society
The Engineering Music Society (EMS) is the largest on-campus instrumental music organization outside the music faculty, and provides an opportunity for students not studying music to continue to play in an ensemble. We currently consist of an orchestra, concert band, stage band, jazz choir and handbell ensemble. All ensembles rehearse weekly for a couple of hours in the evening. Smaller groups are also formed from time to time, including a string quartet, string octet, brass octet, string orchestra and saxophone quartet.
EMS holds four public concerts a year (an orchestral and a bands concert every semester) and also performs at several university and industry functions throughout the year. We also hold a rehearsal camp over a weekend near the beginning of each semester.
Membership is open to all students – not just engineers!
EMS also has a strong social aspect to it. There are trips to the pub after every rehearsal, “Beer and Freddos” nights at the end of semester, and camp. Camp is a great way to get to know everyone in the club and, with such a huge mix of people, you’re bound to find someone you like.
Engineering Music Society
Mailbox 87
First Floor
Union House
University of Melbourne Vic 3010
ems@ems.org.au
www.ems.org.au
Music Students Society
The Music Students’ Society (MSS) is the official student club of the Faculty of Music, providing a vast array of social activities for members and educational and administrative support for music students. Its membership is mostly made up of undergraduate music students, although anybody is entitled to membership on payment of an annual fee. For non-music students, the MSS is a perfect opportunity to meet new band members, teachers, composers and performers.
The MSS holds regular free lunches throughout the year that normally take place in the courtyard behind Melba Hall. Our two major social events, the River Cruise in first semester and Music Ball in second semester, seek to include not only MSS members but all tertiary music students in Melbourne. Orientation is another major part of our work and O-Camp is back in 2008 after a brief hiatus. And on top of all that, there are also end of exam parties to kick start your holidays!
Membership: FREE for student union members, $3 (O-Week and Week 1 special) or $5 for non-union members. Join at our next event, please see the website for details.
Email: mss.unimelb@gmail.com
Website: www.myspace.com/mssick
Post: Music Students’ Society, Faculty of Music Office, University of Melbourne, 3010
