Ten years ago last night I attended my first rehearsal of the Manly Warringah Choir.  How do I remember the day?  After emigrating from England and three months being of no fixed abode, this was the day we finally moved into our house in Allambie Heights.  At 7pm I left Anne re-discovering our lives as she unpacked newly delivered crates and boxes, and was shepherded by John Tesseyman, whom I had met at the local church, to MWC rehearsal.  We were rehearsing the Bach Christmas Oratorio, which by coincidence was the work I would have been singing in the UK with my old choir, on the same day, had we not come to Australia.

What a lot has happened over those ten years!  Under Carlos’ direction, the Choir has grown steadily in both numbers and capability.  There have been many musical highlights.  For me the standouts have been two performances each of the Brahms German Requiem and the Mozart Requiem, and the stunning performance of Bach’s St John Passion earlier this year.  But that is not to say that all the other concerts have been lesser in some way – Messiah, Faure’s Requiem, Schubert masses, the Gounod Mass, the Armed Man, Rutter’s Requiem and many more performances have made me very proud to be a member of MWC.

What makes MWC special?  Firstly, it is the way in which Carlos, ably abetted by Angela, blends the skills of musicians of such a wide range of experience and ability to produce concerts of a very high standard.  It has been said that our singing belies our amateur status.  That is indeed a compliment to us all, but above all to Carlos.  He is where the buck stops.

Secondly, in a world which seems to be becoming increasingly polarized and bellicose, it is great to be a part of an activity which can only succeed by co-operation and mutual support.

Thirdly, the friendships engendered by working with other Choir members towards a common goal have done much to ease the disruption of relocating late in life.

How to celebrate these ten years?  I am ashamed to say that last night I got caught out by several of those unexpected changes of key, rhythm or mood that characterise Stella Natalis, and which I have banged on about several times in this column.  So it will be penance rather than celebration as I spend time on the score this week, marking up the change points in the score and running through each transition several times to imprint it on my brain.

Here’s to the next ten years, whatever they might hold!