Tune In Volume 11 Number 4 July 2017 | Page

The Newsletter of Noosa Chorale Inc Volume 11, Number 4, July 2017

Adrian King conducts Noosa Chorale

“I see trees of green, red roses, too. I see them bloom for me and you And I say to myself…” Enjoy the wonderful world of Louis Armstrong when Noosa Chorale and Australia’s finest jazz musos showcase his greatest hits on August 25 and 26 at the J.

Memorable classics like St Louis Blues, Hello Dolly and Moon River will be performed by the Chorale, Melbourne cabaret star Juliarna Clark and The Australia Jazz Ensemble in this tribute to the lovable, gravel-voiced Satchmo whose trumpet solos thrilled the world for more than four decades.

Jazz musician, bandleader, actor and leading African American, Louis Daniel Armstrong was born into poverty in New Orleans in 1901.

Largely self-taught, he progressed from singing in the streets at age 11 to playing the cornet bought with a loan from the Jewish family for whom he worked.

By the 1920’s he was featured in extended trumpet solos, one of the first jazzmen to do this, injecting his signature style into his solo turns. In 1922 he joined his mentor Joe ‘King’ Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago – the start of fame and success, and a huge

fan following.

By 1925 he had gathered his own ‘Hot Five’ and ‘Hot Seven’ musicians for their legendary recordings. In the early 30’s he moved to Los Angeles and played at the New Cotton Club, home to many Hollywood celebrities. He also ventured into films, becoming the first African-American to get featured billing in major Hollywood movies like “High Society.”

He continued performing and recording throughout the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s, releasing a string of super hits like ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘That Lucky Old Sun’, ‘La Vie En Rose’, and ‘I Get Ideas’.

His 1964 single ‘What a Wonderful World’ peaked at No.1 around the world.

Noosa Chorale’s tribute to Louis Armstrong on August 24 and 25 will launch the 10-day Noosa Jazz Party featuring more than 30 of Australia’s top jazz musos. See story P4 on how our jazz musos are getting younger!

Louis Armstrong with Barbara Streisand in the hit musical of 1965, “Hello Dolly”

“Best wishes to my ’Boy’ Hoagy Carmichael, from Louis Armstrong 2/27/32 “

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

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The timeless songs Noosa Chorale is singing from the glorious era of Louis Armstrong have brought back some wonderful life memories for our choir members. We asked if they would like to share them with other singers and the many friends who support us by coming to our concerts.

Baby, it was cold outside! Tenor Babette Urban recalls her trip to Antarctica which started with “an exceptionally smooth crossing through the Drake Passage, where we experienced many beautiful hues of the St Louis Blues.

“With the full moon reflecting on the surface of the water and following us all the way across the ocean and around the emerging icebergs, we thought it was the best Moon River we could ever wish to see.

“Our first landing was at Sweet Georgia Brown Bluff, an amazing formation caused by a volcano erupting under a glacier. With an air temperature of 1 degree, I said to my friend, gosh Baby it's cold outside!

“As we walked along the beach I stayed On the Sunny Side of the Street to keep warm but the cute little penguins tried hard to trip us up wherever we stepped.

“Apparently they Ain't Misbehaving, they are just excited and it's the way they always act when visitors come to their island. One of the little penguins looked at me as though to say, “I'm so glad you're friendly 'cos Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen!”

“Could he have been referring to Mack the Knife who has now been banned from hunting in the area? Another highlight was being dropped off on my own little iceberg, and I certainly found my thrill on that amazing Blueberry Hill.

“Returning via Cape Horn under the glow of a magnificent sunset reminded me What a Wonderful World I live in. Oh yeah!!”

(Honey) Moon River Tenor Ian Jobling takes us back 54 years with his photograph with Anne in the wedding car soon after the ceremony at Canterbury Baptist Church in Melbourne on the evening of August 23, 1963.

“The car took us to Kew Golf Club, where Anne’s father was a member, for our reception.

“During the bridal waltz, the band played Henry Mancini’s Moon River. We have no photographs of us dancing, which is probably a good thing.”

Hello, Pamela Soprano Pamela Turnbull, who is enjoying her first year with the Chorale, tells how Hello Dolly was her first “taste of the lovely voice of Barbara Streisand.

“In England, 1969, as an 11 year old girl, I was ‘allowed’ to go the Odeon Cinema to see the wonderful film named after the

song. I was so impressed I went back for more!

“Also, What a Wonderful World reminds me of my 85 year old mum, Doreen, in England, tending daily to her garden, her ‘soul’ as she calls it.”

My Dad loved Satch For whom there was no match His gravelly voiced rasped As his trumpet he grasped It puts a spring in my step Singing some of Armstrong’s best What a Wonderful World and St Louis Blues To name but a few from King Louis’ review.

Top of the “Pops” Soprano Tania Van Tongeren (seen here with Pamela Turnbull at rehearsal night), was moved to verse:

Pamela Turnbull with her mum

Three cold snaps from Babette Urban’s Antarctic album

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Contralto Kay Cartwright thinks back to 2002 “When I picked up the sheet music for the songs we are singing in the Jazz concert, I was struck with a mixture of feelings from anticipation to pleasure to sorrow when I realised that we were to sing Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.

“Memories came flooding back of the very first concert I was fortunate enough to sing in with the Chorale in 2002. The concert was arranged and conducted by Ken Evans, then deputy music director, and was titled ‘Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II’.

“The first half featured a number of well-known choral works from madrigals to works by Purcell, but the second half belonged to Ken, featuring original works and others arranged by Ken.

“For me, the stand-out piece was entitled ‘Ameri-Czech Musings’, an arrangement by Ken which featured music by Dvorak (1893) and traditional American compositions interwoven into one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever sung. The first vocal piece in this arrangement was Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.

“I cannot hear or sing this piece now without thinking of Ken. He put his heart and soul into his music. For those of you who did not know him, or did not know him well, I have a CD of that performance and will happily lend it to you at any time.

“RIP Ken. Your music lives on!”

Singin’ the blues Bass Jim Fagan remembers how, as a teenager, he managed a group in Glasgow called The Clyde River Jazz Band.

“It had a front line of trumpet and clarinet backed by drums, piano and double bass. Average age of the musos was 18 and they were all former schoolmates of mine.

“I arranged gigs, usually scout hall dances on a Saturday night, and organized stories in the local Press—some things never change!

“I also doubled as a vocalist and my renderings of classics like “Basin Street Blues,” “Give Me a Kiss to Build a Dream on,” and “St James Infirmary Blues” made, I like to think, many a teenage girl’s heart flutter.

“Louis Armstrong was our idol and I even sang St Louis Blues in a gravelly Satchmo voice. I cringe now when I think of it and I promise not to do it during The Wonderful World of Jazz.”

Memories of ‘MaMa’ For contralto Kerrie Cook, Moon River is an especially poignant piece of music. “It brings back so many memories of my very special grandmother, affectionately known as ‘MaMa’, who died when I was 13.

“Recently MaMa’s daughter, my aunt, died suddenly. She was my father's only sister, and, as she was previously a teaching missionary nun for many years, she had no other family other than us. She was my Godmother and we were very close.

“MaMa believed God had sent me to her, to replace the daughter she had given to Him. She loved music, her parents were Irish and Welsh, and she passed that onto us. There was always music in her home, and she was always singing happily along with it whilst doing baking and the housework. I used to join her in my small child's voice.

“I recall she had three little ornaments in the kitchen, all with little pictures of men's faces singing and a few bars of music written underneath. One was Moon River, another "Sweet Adeline" and one other.

“Emotion overcame me at rehearsal recently when singing "Moon River." Grief has a funny way of raising its attention when you least expect it. A familiar, song, or scent, or picture, or place, can flood your emotions with memories at any time.

“That night, as I was singing, I suddenly saw a beautiful

vision in front of me with my loving grandmother and her daughter, arms wrapped around each other, beaming smiles at me, happy they were together again, and for all eternity.”

Nigerian days Soprano and Chorale foundation member Joan Murray describes how in 1964 “my son was four and we were living in Nigeria. A friend sent me a tape of a selection of songs and among them were Moon River and “Michael Row the Boat Ashore”. Every time I played the tape, he would come running in to hear his two favourite songs.

“I can still see him sitting on the floor just listening. When they finished he would head back to whatever he was doing. He is now 57! “Music is better than any diary! I thank the Chorale for giving me such lovely music.”

Moon River also has memories for fellow soprano, Joan Clift. “I well remember seeing the film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard once, if not twice. “It was a feel good light romantic movie further enhanced by the haunting melody of Moon River in the background – a memorable experience.”

Top: Baby Kerrie with her MaMa Below: Kerrie with her aunt

Joan Murray (right) and Joan Clift at the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony 2015

Ken Evans conducting the Chorale’s 2002 concert ‘Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II’

Kay Cartwright

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Tune In—The Newsletter of Noosa Chorale Inc.

Angie Oakley

Australian jazz is creating a new generation of younger musicians and two of them, Michael McQuaid and Simon Stribling, are coming to Noosa for the 10-day Noosa Jazz Party to be launched by Noosa Chorale with its “Wonderful World of Jazz” concerts at the J.

Michael, who plays clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, tuba and piano, and composes and sings, gave his first performance at the Noosa Jazz Club as a twenty one year old in 2002 and later this year he is off to London to pursue a full-time career as a jazz musician.

He began classic clarinet lessons at the age of eleven and by age fourteen had formed his first jazz band in Canberra.

He moved to Melbourne where he formed the Sweet Lowdowns quartet and Michael McQuaid’s Red Hot Rhythmakers. He toured Europe with the Rhythmmakers and has recorded several albums.

Simon Stribling was 24 when he gave his first performance in Noosa at the 1993

Noosa Jazz Party at the age of twenty four. Taught by his father, the late Neville Stribling, Simon started playing trumpet at the age of five. In 1991 Simon formed the Fireworks Jazz Band which went on to tour Europe several times and performed at festivals in the USA and the Jazz Party in Kobe, Japan. He plays trumpet, trombone, clarinet and saxophone.

Both musicians have been mentored by one of Australia’s jazz greats, “Father” Ade Monsborough, so called because of the encouragement he gave to young musicians.

Simon moved to Canada with his musically talented wife Lauri Lyster in 2000 where he formed the The New Orleans Ale Stars Band and hosted a radio program, Web of Jazz, on WMN.FM Whistler. Lauri has a degree in music performance from the University of British Columbia, plays percussion in the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, drums in Simon’s Ale Stars and teaches piano and drums.

Book now: Noosa Chorale’s “The Wonderful World of Jazz,” Friday, Aug 25, 7pm-Saturday, Aug 26, 2pm. Tickets $35. The J Theatre. Bookings www.the j.com.au

or call 5329 6560.

Noosa Jazz Party’s Jazz at The J, Thursday Aug 31-Sept 3. Music from 5pm to 11pm. Tickets $40 per night or Earlybird discounted for four nights $140. Available from Noosa Heads Jazz Club 5447 2229. Have your credit card ready.

Noosa will buzz when jazz fans from all over Australia and New Zealand come here for the 10-day Noosa Jazz Party which starts on August 25. Doug McGuffog of Noosa Heads Jazz Club has been looking at who they can expect to hear and says:

Michael McQuaid

Simon Stribling

More than 30 of Australia’s finest jazz players will be in Noosa for the Noosa Jazz Party

St Louis

Blues Clinic

“I see. So what you’re saying is that you woke up this morning and your woman

had done left you.”

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See the great Louis Armstrong performing some of his greatest hits.

St Louis Blues

On the Sunny Side of the Street

Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen

Mack the Knife

Blueberry Hill

Hello Dolly

When the Saints Go Marching In

Wonderful World

And High Society from the wonderful film of the same name.