In December last year, at the invitation of a friend, Stuart Ellis attended a concert by the newly-established Elliot Ensemble, a chamber choir identified as ‘coastal voices woven together’.
It was nearing Christmas, and he thought it would be fun to “listen to a few carols”.
What he heard blew him away.
Largely a capella, the ensemble performed a broad range of pieces at a very high standard.
He was pleasantly surprised and, having been a chorister in his youth, with an ongoing interest in singing and classical music, he made inquiries, undertook an audition, and was invited to join the ensemble.
The ensemble is made up of around a dozen amateur singers, most of whom live on the South Coast, and whose core members initially met at the Port Elliot Dog Park while exercising their dogs.
While not a requirement of membership, dogs have brought this group into existence.
The Elliot Ensemble has been practising weekly since February and is about to deliver concerts over June 14 and 15 at St Jude’s Church, Port Elliot.
Carolyn Collins, a trained choral conductor who has studied and performed overseas, coordinates the Ensemble and demands a high standard.
“While singing is a wonderful activity for everyone, I was keen to extend the capabilities of the ensemble to be the best they possibly can,” she said.
The Elliot Ensemble has chosen music for its upcoming concerts from the court of Henry VIII, the baroque era, and ‘world music’ in multiple languages, through to newly composed pieces, designed to comfort, enchant, amuse and uplift.
Tickets for the Saturday 7pm show are at www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1393447
Tickets for the Sunday 3pm show are at www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1393378
