Blue Sky Harmony in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Performing arts
Blue Sky Harmony
Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Address: 1141 Sandgate Rd 4012 Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Website: http://www.blueskyharmony.com.au
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25.01.2022 It's Pride Month! Today we are shining a light on one of our members, Katrina, who is part of the Free Mum Hugs Australia movement. This wonderful group is sharing love and acceptance, one hug at a time. Blue Sky Harmony is inclusive of people with any sexual orientation or gender expression, as well as any age, race, nationality, religion or ethnicity. Happy Pride!
25.01.2022 Yesterday Blue Sky Harmony celebrated our first birthday! We couldnt all be together, but thanks to the baking efforts of our Musical Director, Julie, we had beautiful birthday cupcakes! Thanks to Julie and Kat for the cupcake deliveries these treats were such a lovely surprise. Time really does fly when youre having fun. Over the past year, weve been through many firsts our first rehearsal in our beautiful hall (we miss it), our first goal-setting session, coaching ...visit, concert, community workshop, holiday season, Christmas party, retreat, and of course our first UnConvention. We are so thankful to everyone who has supported our chorus so far those who have coached us, visited us, sung with us, or provided us with much-appreciated encouragement. Blue Sky Harmony has come a long way in a year, and we cant wait to see what the year ahead will bring!
24.01.2022 We're proud to support the 'It's In The Bag' campaign run by Share the Dignity, and are currently sorting through this year's donations. If you'd like to put together a bag for a woman or girl in need, there is still time! Instructions are available via www.sharethedignity.com.au and completed bags can be dropped off at Bunnings until the 29th of November.
23.01.2022 What a lovely message from Luminous Quartet! It's wonderful to see local quartets getting back together to create gorgeous harmonies. We are still planning our quartet event for the 31st of October (link in the comments), as long as COVID-19 cases remain low. So start thinking about which song(s) your quartet or scratch quartet would like to perform!
23.01.2022 Today was August A Cappella - a fantastic educational event run by Sweet Adelines Australia. This year's online format enabled us to learn from the vast experience of international faculty members from the USA (Peggy Gram) and Sweden (Britt-Heléne Bonnedahl) at home, with our cups of tea! We also heard from presenters from all across Australia, including our own Liliana, who was a panellist in a Q&A session on all things visual. Blue Sky Harmony members had a great day of learning and networking with other singers, and can't wait for the next online education event.
21.01.2022 We're back! With no recent community transmission of COVID-19 in Brisbane, we took advantage of our large hall-to-chorus ratio and went back to rehearsal last night. It was wonderful to finally sing together again! Our venue has good airflow and we are maintaining precautions. We hope to welcome potential new members in the coming months. For now, please send us a message if you've been thinking about singing with us and we'll let you know when our next open rehearsal date is set. Sending love to all the singing groups around the world who aren't yet able to safely sing together.
21.01.2022 We had a visitor last night at rehearsal! Big thanks to Nicky McGrath for stopping by to share some wisdom on singing with #nofilter. More than anything, we want to be able to express ourselves in our singing so that we can form a genuine connection with audiences, so this was a highly relevant discussion!
21.01.2022 After having a couple of weeks off to work out our new iso-lives, we've now had two online rehearsals. We'll try to minimise the Zoom photos - we know you've seen a lot of them - but here are two highlights. The first photo was taken during a woeful but hilarious rendition of 'Happy Birthday' - for all the March and April birthdays that we didn't get to celebrate in person. The second is a shot of one of our favourite signs in Auslan from 'Under Southern Skies'. The word is 'Australia'.
21.01.2022 Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there - we love you!
19.01.2022 Today is World Kindness Day! The purpose of this day is to highlight good deeds in the community and focus on the positive power of kindness. Please share in the comments a recent time when you saw or experienced an act of kindness. It will make our day!
18.01.2022 Sequins and Songs is back! After having to cancel our 21st March event, we're so excited to have a new date to aim for. This quartet social and singing event was so much fun last year, and we know that everyone will be hanging out for a get-together by the end of October. Registrations will open closer to the event (once we're confident that we can proceed), but please save the date, RSVP to the Facebook event and invite your friends!
17.01.2022 Each year on Anzac Day, we take time to remember the brave people who served Australia and New Zealand and lost their lives while fighting to protect our way of life. We can't gather together in person this year, but we are still joined in spirit. Lest we forget. Today we're sharing a performance of Waltzing Matilda by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Anzac Day Virtual Choir, which includes one of our tenors (who has recently been moonlighting as a soprano). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrG7PTffmlQ
15.01.2022 Time for another virtual choir compilation from Stay At Home Choir! This performance of O Radiant Dawn from The Strathclyde Motets by James MacMillan features singers from 64 countries, including a Blue Sky Harmony member. Let the glorious harmonies wash over you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8MILVwN2ss
15.01.2022 Last weekend huge milestones were recognised for two Blue Sky Harmony members. Jill Harris reached 25 years of Sweet Adelines Australia membership this year, and Karen Magno reached 20 years. We feel so proud to have these highly experienced musicians in our chorus, and look forward to many more years of singing with them! There was another exciting moment this week for chorus member Liliana Macarone, who received her Regional Education Faculty badge after being appointed to the position late last year. Congratulations Liliana! We might not be able meet in person at the moment, but it's wonderful to see our members still achieving great things.
15.01.2022 We're super proud of our Musical Director, Julie, who was recently awarded the Miss Hebden Scholarship with voice teacher Nicky McGrath. This scholarship was created in memory of the late Barbara Hebden OAM, who was a musician, teacher and arts reviewer. Julie received a term of singing lessons with Nicky, and in this video they discuss their experiences during that time. We are very thankful to Nicky for supporting Julie, and by extension our chorus, with this amazing professional development opportunity.
15.01.2022 Earlier this month, one of our members performed one of her favourite songs with The King's Singers! Virtually, of course, but still pretty special. This beautiful rendition of Billy Joel's 'And So It Goes' was put together using recordings from 732 singers from 52 countries, thanks to Stay At Home Choir. Enjoy the harmonies. https://youtu.be/HINNVwddDJU
14.01.2022 Blue Sky Harmony appreciates that we're very fortunate to be singing together again, and many choirs around the world are not in the same position. Here's another fun video from a group making the best of the current situation - Stay At Home Choir. The song is 'You're All I Need To Get By'', featuring The Swingles. A Blue Skyer is one of the 1000+ singers in the background! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoxGaMz-Joo
13.01.2022 We couldn't agree more with this excerpt from a letter that was recently published in the Guardian. Being part of a singing group has a huge positive impact on our health and wellbeing. Blue Sky Harmony has been staying connected over the past few months, and we can't wait to sing together again.
12.01.2022 It had been far too long since we'd all seen each other in person, so we caught up for a potluck dinner on Thursday night. Of course, we did our best to maintain appropriate distances between people, and there was plenty of hand sanitiser to go around! With only two active COVID-19 cases in Queensland and no community spread, we're feeling much better about being out and about, and it was lovely to finally be able to spend some time together.
11.01.2022 We welcomed another amazing new member last night! Mary is a beautiful baritone who recently moved to Queensland after years of singing with Endeavour Harmony Chorus. We're thrilled that she has found a new home with us.
10.01.2022 Pub Choir set out with Couch Choir to spread a little love this Mother's Day, and of course, who did we spot in their latest video? Blue Sky Harmony bass Katrina, who is always making others feel loved! It was awesome to see her smiling face in the middle of the screen at around the 2:25 mark in this video.
10.01.2022 Our two Michelles were recently involved in another virtual choir, singing the spiritual-lullaby 'All My Trials'. This is a beautiful song of hope, and it has previously been performed by artists such as Paul McCartney and The Seekers. We hope that you enjoy this version! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyCaPw82__0
10.01.2022 Blue Sky Harmony is keen to meet new singers who want to create gorgeous harmonies with us! We rehearse on Thursday nights - contact us if you'd like to visit. Then if plans need to change due to COVID-19, we'll be able to let you know.
09.01.2022 It seemed like we were in isolation forever, and we might well have to go back at some stage, but our members managed to find some interesting ways to keep themselves occupied over the past few months. Here are some memories!
07.01.2022 The first footprints on this continent were those of First Nations Peoples. We acknowledge that our chorus meets each week on the land of the Jagera and Turrbal people, and we recognise their ongoing connection to land, waters and community. "NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country a history which dates back thousands of generations. It’s about seeing, hearing and learning the First Nations’ 65,000+ year history of this country - which is Australian history. We want all Australians to celebrate that we have the oldest continuing cultures on the planet and to recognise that our sovereignty was never ceded." ~https://www.naidoc.org.au/ Always Was, Always Will Be.
07.01.2022 We're happy to have made it to another rehearsal day!
05.01.2022 Today is Barbershop Music Appreciation Day! It's the 75th anniversary of the founding of Sweet Adelines International, and we are proud to be members of this global singing organisation. At Blue Sky Harmony, we know that sharing your voice with others means that you need to be brave. Our voices are an important part of who we are as humans, and each week, our chorus members join our voices together to create something magical. While we were in isolation, we put together thi...s short video of our 'everyday brave acts'. We believe that stepping outside our comfort zones allows us to grow, and encourage you to be brave in your own way too! Happy Barbershop Music Appreciation Day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrolLFiSUeo #SweetAds75 #SweetAdelinesDay #WeAreSweetAdelines #SweetAdelinesStrong #SweetAdsAust
05.01.2022 Rehearsal last night was a special one because it was our first Zoom rehearsal that every chorus member could make it to! So great to have the gang back together again Tomorrow we're excited to be part of 'UnConvention' - a fabulous online event to mark what would have been our Sweet Adelines Australia Convention weekend in Hobart. And a wonderful baritone fairy spent time driving all over Brisbane today so we can wear our commemorative Hobart 2020 Convention pins for the occasion! Huzzah!
05.01.2022 Wow, Sweet Adelines Australia, what a show! We loved the UnConvention webcast and the opportunity to catch up with friends around the country. Here's looking forward to Adelaide 2021!
05.01.2022 At rehearsal this week, we ran the 'Blue Sky Harmony Talent Challenge', where members shared some of their diverse talents. One played a haunting original instrumental piece, another showed us her rendition of the Napoleon Dynamite dance, and another presented a flashback to a hilarious character from a past chorus retreat skit. We have some genuinely talented musicians in our chorus... and then there was someone who probably had a little too much time on her hands... See what you think! https://youtu.be/yu5oZrpq0Oo
03.01.2022 On Thursday night we presented Hayley with a little gift to mark an important milestone - the completion of her first year as a member of Sweet Adelines International. Although she originally sang bass, Hayley is now a powerful lead, and an absolute joy to be around. Congratulations Hayley! The rest of the people in this photo just happened to wear blue tops to rehearsal... #teamspirit #SweetAds75
03.01.2022 Even though our chorus was fortunate enough to start singing together in person again a few months ago, we love that our chorus members are still taking part in virtual choirs from time to time. It's wonderful to be able to make music with people from all over the world! Pub Choir's rendition of 'Happy Together' is truly joyful, and if you look closely at the 41-second mark, you'll spot a very familiar Blue Sky Harmony bass. :)
03.01.2022 At Blue Sky Harmony we feel very fortunate to have our very own chorus health coordinator. Kate brings vast experience to this position, from her work as a mental health occupational therapist. Part of Kate's role involves facilitating discussions and workshops, such as last night's session on how to manage your inner critic.
03.01.2022 We love this video put together by three choruses from around the world - including Australia's Endeavour Harmony Chorus - to celebrate Make Music Day.
02.01.2022 Blue Sky Harmony was ready to make our first Sweet Adelines Australia convention appearance on 16th May in Hobart. It was sad to lose those plans, but we've recently had fun going through past performances to find a set for the online "UnConvention". We can't wait to see some of our Sweet Adelines sisters there!
02.01.2022 We're excited to start welcoming visitors again on the 6th of August - just a couple of weeks away! We're monitoring the situation with COVID-19 and are maintaining appropriate distancing during rehearsals (with good ventilation - bring a coat!). So if anything changes, we'll let you know, but mark it in your diaries and come experience our harmonies!
01.01.2022 Guess what? Today is Barbershop Quartet Day! Check out this video by one of our quartets - Luminous Quartet. The sentiment is perfect for this strange time in the world. We might be apart for now, but we'll meet again someday and sing beautiful harmonies together! #BarbershopQuartetDay #IAmSweetAdelines #LifeOnAHighNote #SweetAdelinesStrong
01.01.2022 Last night was bittersweet for Blue Sky Harmony. We presented Jill with a badge marking 25 years as a Sweet Adeline - an amazing milestone! At the same time, we said farewell as it was Jill's last rehearsal with us. Due to her long commute from the Gold Coast, Jill has decided to stop singing with our chorus, but will continue to support us from afar. We've been so lucky to have Jill with us for most of our first year - she has been our biggest cheerleader and we have appreciated her wisdom and beautiful voice. These pictures show some of the fun times that we've shared. We wish her all the best with her ongoing musical projects and can't wait to see her at future gigs and get-togethers!
01.01.2022 Singer faces... we all have them! Share yours in the comments.
