Australian choristers swap their day jobs for the international stage

Do you have to be a professional musician to perform on some of the world's most iconic stages?

Not necessarily.

Community choirs can give amateur singers the opportunity to perform in venues many musicians only dream of visiting.

Groups like the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs help singers develop their skills while opening doors to prestigious performance opportunities.

The Sydney Opera House Concert Hall is their home stage, but the choir recently returned from a 12-day tour of the UK.

One of the tour's highlights was a performance at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. 

This renowned, month-long classical music festival is known for its rich history and tradition of offering affordable standing-room tickets.

The performance, which will be broadcast on ABC Classic today, was a huge financial and musical commitment for the choristers.

But for many, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Hitting the ground singing

The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is made up largely of amateur singers. 

Among them are GP and practice owner Kate Clowes, who has been singing with the choir for 20 years, and music teacher Joel Wilkinson, who joined the under-30's choir last year.

After the long-haul flight to the UK, the choir launched straight into an intensive schedule of rehearsals and performances.

According to Wilkinson, the pace was hectic.

"Some of the choristers finished a show in Sydney on Saturday, flew out, landed in London on Monday, rehearsed, and went into a 12-day tour."

And Clowes had another curveball right before she got on the plane: "I actually caught COVID [and recovered], but I was nervous that would interfere with my capacity to sing," she says.

Adding to the challenge was the repertoire itself.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Artistic Director Brett Weymark describes John Adams's Harmonium, which the choir performed, as an "extremely difficult piece" that requires "precision". 

It calls on "a different level of expertise from what they're used to" according to Weymark.

But the effort paid off.

Weymark shares how walking into the Royal Albert Hall, a venue steeped in over a century of musical performances, is "an extraordinary experience" even for seasoned musicians.

More than 300 performers took part on the night.

Wilkinson says the feeling of being in a massed choir "was like being swept up in a sea of sound".

"The Royal Albert Hall is such a hallowed place," Clowes says.

"To stand on stage and fill the space with incredible sound was a thrill."

Living the life of a musician

There's a special bond that's often formed by singing together. This is intensified when a group goes on tour.

Amateur groups like the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs operate through members paying to take part in music projects, including self-funding international travels.

Clowes first joined the group in 2006, without having to audition, as part of a Christmas performance in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Now a seasoned chorister and traveller, she sings in the choir's rigorously auditioned Chamber Singers.

Although Wilkinson has experience tackling complex repertoire through his music studies at university, he needed to save for six months to go on the tour.

"It was quite a big thing to do for me and my girlfriend," Wilkinson says.

"It was a hectic couple of weeks, but the experiences that we were able to have were pretty cool."

During the tour, "they actually become professional musicians for that period," Weymark says.

"They're not going to the office to become accountants or teaching in their schools or working in a hospital.

"For that period, they are there to do one thing only: to sing as a group."

He is "incredibly proud of all the singers" who rose to the challenge of learning music, travelling and performing in new venues most have never been to.

Why community choirs matter

Weymark likens community music groups to sport.

He says it starts with "people who are out kicking a football around in their local park" rather than professional league players.

Similarly, "more people take part in amateur music making than we think," Weymark says.

And although Australia has professional ensembles such as state orchestras and opera companies, Weymark says the sector couldn't exist without "the grassroots music making that happens on an amateur level."

For Clowes, making new memories on tour and strengthening friendships made the commitment worthwhile, despite having to close her practice and "working doubly hard" when she got back.

"My patients are very patient with me, and interestingly have been the most curious ever about our recent choir tour," Clowes says.

Learning from some of the best conductors was valuable professional development for Wilkinson's teaching career.

But the best confidence boost was being able to tell his students that "Mr Wilkinson actually does some cool stuff on tour."

Weymark sums up why being part of a choir or an orchestra is so addictive and valuable:

"We are creating some joy in the community by bringing people together to make music."

Until you experience it for yourself, Weymark says, "you cannot, even for a second, imagine the camaraderie, support and connection you have with people when you make music together."

Listen to Sydney Philharmonia Choirs perform at the BBC Proms on ABC Classic on Tuesday, September 8 at 8pm.