The Boite Singers' Festival

15/01/2024

Tomorrow's Music Sans Frontieres features some of the artists who played marvellously at the Cygnet Folk Festival over this weekend past, and an interview and some tracks from Bhairavi Raman, who is also featured this week in the The Indian Sun. Have a look at what she has to say www.theindiansun.com.au/2024/01/11/how-violinist-bhairavi-raman-strings-together-two-cultures/

Each time I’ve seen Bhairavi Raman perform, she’s clad in beautiful saris that, along with her music, pull in the audience. Like many children growing up in diaspora communities, Raman says she has learned to adapt to different cultural situations. For this Melbourne-based violinist, her music r...

10/11/2020

Sing in November

Following on from our very successful online singing day in September, The Boite presents another unique singing experience, exploring the wonderful Christmas music traditions of Russia and Poland in 2 x 90 minute workshops.

Here is Zosia Kaszubska, one of Sing in November's workshop leader.
Her earliest memory of singing, is sitting with her father, when she was three, to learn a song from Belarus. In a way, that story encapsulates her lifelong devotion to singing and song. She cannot neglect the beauty of Polish folk songs, and she has an abiding love of songs that connect with particular occasions and ceremonies.

As she grew older, she railroaded younger siblings and neighbours into a choir, later, at Uni, she sang with fellow students, as a parent she sang with her children. Songs give her life meaning and beauty.

Book your tickets for this fabulous day now!
trybooking.com/BMEQQ

29/10/2020

In September, The Boite developed an online singing day to connect singers from all around the world, to fill the gap that COVID restrictions had created.

It was a raging success, full of uplifting song and connection. Now we’re back, and better than ever.

The Boite presents Sing in November

We present two workshops exploring the wonderful Christmas music traditions of Russia and Poland. Join us to explore beautiful music from these two fascinating cultures in 2 x 90 minute workshops.

Sunday, November 15th
1:00pm: Sing with Zosia Kaszubska (Poland)
3:00pm: Sing with Olga Emelina (Russia)

Tickets through trybooking.com/BMEQQ
$20 (single workshop), $35 (2-workshop pass)

31/08/2020

Sing in September

Singers, all over Melbourne, Australia and all over the world, are missing their regular opportunities to connect through song and friendship, in halls and churches.

The Boite will be holding an online day of singing to help to fill the gap. Presenters from the UK, Canada and Melbourne will bring their expertise to offer new songs and opportunities to singers here and across the globe in the form of 3x90-minute workshops presented online.

Learn from the experts and spend a day immersed in song.

From 12:30pm, Sunday September 13th
Tickets through trybooking.com/BKPUI
To find out more Sing in September

Singers, all over Melbourne, and all over the world, are missing their regular opportunities to connect through song and friendship, in halls and churches. The Boite has developed an online day of singing to help to fill the gap. Presenters from the UK, Canada and Melbourne will bring their expertis...

29/08/2020

Sing in September

Join Su Hart; a composer, choir leader and a world expert on the singing of the Central African Rainforest People, the Baka. (suhart.com)

Singers all over Melbourne and all over the world, are missing their regular opportunities to connect through song and friendship, in halls and churches.

The Boite has developed an online day of singing to help to fill the gap. Presenters from the UK, Canada and Melbourne will bring their expertise to offer new songs and opportunities to singers here and across the globe in the form of 3x90 minute workshops presented online.

Sing in September
Sunday, September 13th
Tickets: trybooking.com/BKBUI

29/08/2020

Sing in September

Sing in September is only two weeks away!

Join Matt Knight (Canada) as he takes us through contemporary folk songs from North America that nurture the soul and speak to the rhythms of life.

Matt Knight is a community music and singing enthusiast with more than two decades of choral experience. He has degrees in music education and ethnomusicology, and recently completed a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois. In 2015 and 2016, he lived in the Republic of Georgia (Caucasus) researching Georgian polyphonic vocal music.

He is interested in all kinds of harmony singing, including folk polyphonies (Corsican, Sardinian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Ukrainian, etc.), gospel, shape note, vocal jazz, contemporary acappella, and barbershop.

In this workshop, Matt will introduce you to a variety of contemporary folk songs from North America that nurture the soul, speaking to the rhythms of life, the power of community, and the joy of raising our voices together. Songs will be in three or four parts and accessible to singers with different levels of skill.

You’re sure to leave this session humming a new tune and feeling buoyed up in spirit!

Sing in September
Sunday, September 13th
Tickets through trybooking.com/BKPUI

28/08/2020

Sing in September

Sing in September is only a few weeks away! Who's got their tickets?

Singers in Melbourne and all over the world are missing their regular opportunities to connect through song and friendship, in halls and churches.

The Boite has developed an online day of singing to help to fill the gap. Presenters will bring their expertise to offer new songs and opportunities to singers through 90 minute workshops presented online.

Introducing presenter, Matt Knight:

Matt Knight (Canada) is a community music and singing enthusiast with more than two decades of choral experience. He has degrees in music education and ethnomusicology, and recently completed a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois.

In 2015 and 2016, he lived in the Republic of Georgia (Caucasus) researching Georgian polyphonic vocal music. He is interested in all kinds of harmony singing, including folk polyphonies (Corsican, Sardinian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Ukrainian, etc.), gospel, shape note, vocal jazz, contemporary acappella, and barbershop.

In this workshop, Matt will introduce you to a variety of contemporary folk songs from North America that nurture the soul, speaking to the rhythms of life, the power of community, and the joy of raising our voices together. Songs will be in three or four parts and accessible to singers with different levels of skill.

You’re sure to leave this session humming a new tune and feeling buoyed up in spirit!

Sing in September
Tickets through trybooking.com/BKPUI
Sunday, September 13th, 12:30pm

27/08/2020

Sing in September

The Boite's singing day is only a few weeks away!

Singers in Melbourne and all over the world are missing their regular opportunities to connect through song and friendship.

The Boite has developed an online day of singing to help to fill the gap. Presenters will bring their expertise to offer new songs and opportunities to singers through 90 minute workshops presented online.

Introducing workshops leader Su Hart:

Su Hart (UK) was brought up in the music of the Methodist church and the folk clubs of North East England. She has collected songs from Scotland to Scandinavia and New Zealand to Bhutan.

Since 1993 she has made frequent visits to Cameroon, to sing and live with the Baka Pygmies. The collective spiritual singing of the Baka women has informed and inspired her musical development. Su melds African rhythms with Celtic melodies. She currently directs three UK community choirs, and The London Rainforest Choir, as well as composing for women's voices.

Su Harts Rainforest Sing workshops are inspired by 25 years of visiting Baka Rainforest People in Central Africa and learning from their unbroken indigenous musical culture. The Baka are thought to be the first humans to sing. Their rainforest singing styles build community, traditionally helping to heal illness and argument, soothes babies and enchants the animals ensuring luck in the hunt.

it is a beautiful interlocking of sound and is accessible, rhythmic and fun, fun for singers or fun even if you think you are not a singer, a communication across our planet!

Su is initiated by the Baka women to share this singing and royalties go back to them for projects in the forest.

Sing in September
Tickets through trybooking.com/BKPUI
Sunday, September 13th, 4:30pm