June 18, 2015
South Burnett singing group Sing Australia are looking forward to hosting a famous visitor on Thursday (June 8).
Colin Slater OAM, who founded Sing Australia, will be visiting Kingaroy for the first time since 2015 to conduct a free, fun workshop for existing members and potential new members.
Colin is known as an inspirational and entertaining presenter. He has extensive experience as a performer in musical theatre, and as an event manager, a singing coach and entrepreneur.
He was awarded an Order of Australia for his community work and is also a Churchill Fellow, a Life Member of Rotary and has been awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship.
Over the past 30 years, Colin has set up choirs across the nation which have catered for more than 12,000 participants.
Today Sing Australia has 125 active groups, 4500 active members.
Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and musicians James Morrison and Athol Guy are its patrons.
Colin is passionate about encouraging everyone to sing and says his mission is to bring joy to Australians through song.
He has been particularly active in establishing choirs in remote drought-effected areas with the hope of injecting good cheer into those communities, and helping people to use singing as a positive outlet for their frustrations.
He also leads a choir group to Gallipoli every year to participate in Anzac Day services.
Sing Australia runs workshops, organises concerts and provides song books and music CDs to help choirs get up and running.
One of the reasons it’s been so effective, Colin believes, is that no singing experience is necessary and no auditions are held for the choirs.
Everyone is welcome, even tone-deaf people!
“At Sing Australia we love to hear the voices of all people, regardless of how well or badly they think they can sing,” Colin said.
“We view singing as an activity that is unrivalled as a way of addressing some of our biggest issues in society, where everyone can feel they can be part of it. That is why we are so strong on social connection and inclusion.
“When all voices come together, it is an unmistakably joyful sound – powerful in its motivation, and encouraging through its great sense of community.”
On Thursday night, the South Burnett branch of Sing Australia will be running a two-hour workshop at the Uniting Church Hall at the corner of Alford and Youngman streets in Kingaroy between 7:00pm and 9:00pm, followed by a light supper.
Anyone who’d like to join the group in song is very welcome to come along, and there’ll be a wide range of songs to join in with.
If you can’t make it on Thursday, the local branch of Sing Australia meets at the same venue every Monday night between 7:00pm and 9:00pm during school terms.
You can obtain more information about the the South Burnett branch of Sing Australia by phoning Sharron Coughlan on 0431-816-071.
[Previously published as “Singing Conductor Coming This Thursday]
