Oriana Chorale

The Choir

Founded in 1977, the Oriana Chorale is an auditioned group of professional and amateur musicians who are dedicated to quality performance of a diverse selection of choral music.

Oriana’s mission is enriching the cultural life of Canberra with choral music projects of the highest standard, both a capella and with instrumental accompaniment. The Chorale repertoire ranges from Schütz, Tallis and Byrd, to Rachmaninov, Pärt, Whitacre, and contemporary Australian composers.

Directed by Dan Walker, the Chorale presents three major concerts each year, often with associate artists, and is a regular participant in the Canberra International Music Festival as well as a collaborator of prominent vocal ensembles such as The Song Company and The Tallis Scholars. Members of the community have the opportunity to join the Chorale for its annual choral workshops.

Musical Director

Dan Walker

Canberra composer, conductor and performer Dan Walker is one of Australia’s most in-demand choral specialists. He has written music for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Gondwana Choirs and Halcyon.

As a performer, Dan is a member of the Canberra-based Luminescence Chamber Singers, Sydney-based Cantillation, and Pinchgut Opera. He has been a member of The Song Company and was a founding member of early music ensemble ‘The Parson’s Affayre’. A keenly sought-after conductor, Dan has appeared as chorus-master for the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony
Choruses, and is now music director of the Canberra Choral Society, the Oriana Chorale and the Canberra Community Chorale.

The Oriana Chorale’s previous Music Directors included some of Canberra’s most distinguished musicians such as Roger Wellman (the Chorale’s founder), Christopher Lyndon Gee, Bengt-Olov Palmqvist, Piroska Varga, Richard McIntyre, Sally McRae, Rowan Harvey-Martin, Tobias Cole, David Mackay, Robyn Mellor, and Peter Young.

Photo credit: Hillary Wardhaugh

Joining Oriana Chorale

The Oriana Chorale is an auditioned choir. We audition potential new choir members twice a year, in January and July. If you are interested in being auditioned as part of a future audition round or in the case of a vacancy in your part, please register your interest with us via our Contact page.

Individual auditions are normally held by arrangement prior to a rehearsal, usually at 7:00 pm on Thursday evenings at Wesley Music Centre.

Auditions

Prospective members are auditioned by the Musical Director and at least one member of the committee. These auditions are designed to assess a prospective chorister’s musical ability and musicianship, vocal quality, and potential to blend with the rest of the choir. Generally speaking, auditions will include:

sight singing
vocal exercises to explore range and vocal quality, and
a musicianship test.

Fees

As with all non-profit organisations, members are asked to contribute to the upkeep of the choir. Annual fees for the choir are:

$300 for printed scores
$275 for BYO scores (self-printed or electronic on tablet)
$100 for full-time students

The fee may be reduced for members who join part way through a calendar year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does the choir rehearse?
The Oriana Chorale rehearses every Thursday night, 7:30-9:30pm, at Wesley Music Centre.
Is rehearsal attendance compulsory?
Yes, although we do accommodate members’ other commitments be they professional or private. However, as a rehearsal schedule is made available well in advance of concerts, we require that members be able to commit to at least 80% of all rehearsals in order to participate in a concert.
Do you have to pay for sheet music?
All members are given access to electronic PDF scores of the repetoir. Members may print their own copies of the music, read from a tablet or other appropriate device, or elect to have music printed for them by the choir librarian for a slightly higher annual fee (see above).
Do I need to be able to read music to be a member of The Oriana Chorale?
Yes. The choir performs to a high standard and so it is expected that members are able to read music and sing at sight. This enables us to spend more time working on interpretation and detail during rehearsal, rather than simply note-bashing.

If your question has not been addressed, please contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.