Tuesday 4 October 2022
THE SONG COMPANY NEW ARTISTIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Song Company is delighted to announce the membership of the Artistic Advisory Committee. The newly created committee is the custodian of the overall artistic vision for the The Song Company, and brings life to the vision of an artist-led organisation, performing a variety of repertoire under a series of Guest Directors.
All media and other enquiries, please contact General Manager Francis Greep.
Tuesday 13 September 2022
THE SONG COMPANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS' ANNOUNCEMENT – MEDIA RELEASE
Download the Media Release here.
All media and other enquiries, please contact General Manager Francis Greep.
Saturday 3 September 2022
RAVE REVIEWS FOR ARMS OF LOVE
A ★★★★½ review from Limelight:
"The Song Company’s Arms of Love is a revelation in musical programming, breaking all the rules of performing old music and arriving somewhere truly exhilarating...
Secure pitch and the kind of blend that allows each of the five voices to be heard in their individual clarity and beauty, while never undermining the coherence of the whole are trademarks of The Song Company....
This was the kind of concert that can make us sit up and take notice, in which many stories can be interwoven. The fluidity between centuries, continents, art forms and senses made new resonances of each of the program’s parts – inviting the audience to hear old works anew and placing the program in relationship to the place we are in and the Country we are on."
Read the full Limelight review: https://limelightmagazine.com.au/reviews/arms-of-love-the-song-company/
Read more reviews: https://the.song.company/reviews
More information on Arms of Love
Monday 1 August 2022
THE SONG COMPANY SINGING IN THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA'S TOUR OF THE CROWD AND I
Featuring music by Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich and Richard Tognetti, this profound cross-artform collaboration between Artistic Director Richard Tognetti, director Nigel Jamieson and cinematographer Jon Frank sees the ACO explore humanity’s complex existence on our densely populated planet. Discover the new ways in which we have come to live with one another, crowded together and separated from nature. The Song Company, featuring five of our Principal Artists – Amy Moore, Chloe Lankshear, Jessica O'Donoghue, Stephanie Dillon, Dan Walker – and 2021 Ensemble Artist Hayden Barrington, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra perform live alongside striking imagery and footage captured across the globe – from the banks of the Ganges to the mosh pits of Coachella.
More information and tickets: https://www.aco.com.au/whats-on/2022/the-crowd-and-i
Wednesday 15 June 2022
JACK PERCY APPOINTED AS CHAIR OF THE SONG COMPANY - MEDIA RELEASE
When most corporate high-fliers step down from their executive roles, they jump into a portfolio of ASX 200 non-executive directorships. Not so Jack Percy.
When Percy retired as Chairman and Managing Director of Accenture (Aust, NZ, South Korea) and member of Accenture’s Global Leadership Council in 2017, he commenced a music degree at ANU. Unencumbered by corporate pressures and globe-trotting, he was able to pursue a long-held passion for music that had included being a member of the renowned Trinity College Choir, Cambridge. Board life was consciously eschewed – until now.
The Board and management of The Song Company are delighted to announce the appointment of Jack Percy as Chair of The Song Company, succeeding Michael Tidball who stepped down from the role to take up the role of Secretary of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Mr Percy is a well-respected Australian business leader. Under his leadership, Accenture’s ANZ business more than doubled to well over AU$1.5bn, and was recognised globally as one of Accenture’s top performing units. He also drove the company’s expansion from the Eastern seaboard to add offices in Perth, Adelaide, Auckland and Wellington. In his role at Accenture, Jack championed a number of cultural sponsorships, including a significant, multi-year relationship with the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) as their principal sponsor. He was awarded the HR CEO Champion of the Year by the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and became a sought-after speaker on the topic of leadership. Oh yes, and he is now enjoying life as a jazz saxophonist, regularly performing with the Jack Percy Trio and the Blamey Street Big Band.
“It is an enormous honour to take on this role with The Song Company, an ensemble I have long admired for its artistic excellence. I see this as a great opportunity to marry my skills in strategy, finance and corporate growth with my deep love of music. Working with the great Artistic Director, Antony Pitts, GM & Associate AD Francis Greep, and the rest of the singers, Board and management team, we look forward to building a vibrant and sustainable future for The Song Company, “ says Jack Percy.
Artistic Director, Antony Pitts, adds: “It is well known how hard hit the performing arts have been over the past two years. The Board underwent an exhaustive search to find a new Chair who could take on the many challenges we face and help us forge a vibrant future in this “new normal”. We are very grateful to the hard work and commitment previously provided by Michael Tidball in this role, and look forward immensely to working with Jack.”
Mr Percy is available for interview.
For media enquiries, please contact Francis Greep
General Manager & Associate Artistic Director
francis.greep@song.company
Wednesday 18 May 2022
THE SONG COMPANY LAUNCHES ITS 2022 EOFY APPEAL
Artistic Director Antony Pitts and General Manager & Associate Artistic Director Francis Greep wrote to The Song Company community this morning with this message:
"This year’s End of Financial Year campaign is extremely important to help secure the future of The Song Company. Whilst audiences are slowly returning to performances, income from ticket sales is still considerably lower than pre-pandemic, and unfortunately, multi-year funding from the Federal Government has ceased entirely.
We have set an appeal goal of $100,000 that can only be reached and possibly surpassed with your help and renewed support.
Click through to the EOFY Appeal page to find out five reasons to support Australia’s finest vocal ensemble and our incredible artists."
You can make a tax-deductible donation online, by phone on (02) 9156 2781 or by mailing a cheque made out to The Song Company to:
The Song Company
Suite 6, 15 Hickson Road
Dawes Point NSW 2000
Thursday 12 May 2022
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SONG COMPANY’S GOVERNANCE
Michael Tidball, The Song Company’s Board Chair since 2016, has been appointed to a senior position in the NSW Government, which has led to him stepping down from his role as Chair earlier than anticipated. This has coincided with the scheduled retirement of Director Dr Matthew Hindson in May 2022. In building a strong Board, there now exist opportunities for two individuals to make a significant contribution to The Song Company’s long-term well-being as it navigates through the challenging performing arts world post-COVID.
The Board Skills Matrix has identified several areas of focus for this recruitment drive, including but not limited to the following:
- Passionate ambassador for the artform, able to work collaboratively with the artistic and management team towards a sustainable future
- Entrepreneurial business skills to build resilience in TSC’s business model
- Marketing understanding, including social media platforms and digital presence
- Advocacy skills with government agencies, bureaucrats and politicians
- Collaborator and listener, keen to work with a small committed team
- Agent for change, insightful and proactive
- Available for regular meetings and consultation, especially during this period of change in the arts
- Forward-looking, providing calm objective governance skills
- Vision and boldness to help harness the enormous artistic potential existing within the group
For further information
The Song Company has engaged Mary Jo Capps AM to assist the Board in filling these two important roles of Chair and Non-Executive Director. Please contact her directly on maryjo@mjcapps.com.au for further information.
Tuesday 10 May 2022
WEBSITE CONTENT AND NAVIGATION UPDATES
Thanks to your feedback, we have just undertaken a refresh of our website to make it easier to find content and information – everything is now under five headings (the top menu on desktop, the bottom tabs on mobile):
Discover – the homepage
Scroll down for links to the Events Calendar, the About us page, Latest News (this page), recent and forthcoming content, and more; you can always go back to the homepage by clicking the logo or page title at the top of the page.
Buy
Here you can browse through our current and recent programs, choose events and buy tickets from our Events Calendar or Concerts by Location; you can also download Concert Programme booklets (free), and follow the links to purchase recent Digital Albums and Merchandise.
Connect
Here is where you can find out about The Song Company – who we are, what we do, and how to contact us; you can also read Reviews, and if you're signed in (it's completely free to sign up), Search and read our Artist profiles.
Immerse
This is where our digital content sits, from full-length concert films (for Silver & Gold Members) to online streaming of our latest albums (available to all subscribing Digital Members); Membership links are also in the top right-hand corner menu.
Support
The Song Company is very grateful to all our supporters – here you can find out how to support our performances and our various Artist Development programs, as well as seeing who else is partnering with us across music and other artforms, education, government, and private philanthropy.
Friday 6 May 2022
Changes to The Song Company Board
Long-term Board Director Matthew Hindson tendered his resignation from The Board of The Song Company at the last Board meeting as his tenure had reached the maximum seven years, as allowed by the ACNC. We are delighted to announce that noted composer Paul Stanhope has joined them Board in anticipation of Matthew's retirement.
Matthew writes: “I have been immensely proud to have been a Board Member of one of Australia’s shining jewels, The Song Company. No matter what trials and tribulations came our way, both the Company and the Board were always united in the primacy of artistic products of the highest quality. It’s the best type of experience to have - to serve an organisation committed to the highest standards.”
Incoming Board Director Paul Stanhope responds: “I am immensely honoured to be appointed as a board member of Australia’s wonderful national vocal ensemble, The Song Company. I will be filling big shoes with the departure of my colleague and fellow composer, Matthew Hindson who has served with distinction. Vocal music is one of my big passions, having been Music Director of Sydney Chamber Choir and now director of the Sydney Conservatorium Chamber Choir. There are many challenges afoot for a small company in an arts sector which, at large, faces scarcity of funding and the difficulty of the previous two years of pandemic responses. I will strive to serve the board well and contribute what I can to this unique and important ensemble.”
Antony Pitts, Artistic Director of The Song Company takes up the refrain: “Enormous thanks are due to Matthew – from me personally and from the whole Company – for sticking with us through thick and thin, and for providing such helpful artistic input over the past seven years as we have sought to transform our output and expand our artistic collective and collaborative outreach. We welcome Paul at yet another challenging juncture in The Song Company’s almost 40-year history; together with all our Artists, staff, and Board members, Associate Artistic Director Francis Greep and I are endeavouring to produce world-class vocal ensemble music, equip the next generation of elite Australian singers, and reach out to community singers and lovers of vocal and choral music across the continent.”
Wednesday 23 March 2022
New dates for Becoming Beatrix
The Song Company is pleased to announce new dates for Close-Up recital Becoming Beatrix in Canberra and Sydney with Chloe Lankshear and Francis Greep.
Canberra: Saturday 14 May, 3pm - Music Room at Wesley Music Centre
Sydney: Sunday 15 May, 3pm - Mosman Art Gallery
Purchase tickets here
We are still looking for new dates for Blackheath and Dungog
Monday 14 March 2022
Board Chair Resignation
NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman recently announced that Michael Tidball, Board Chair of The Song Company, to the role of Secretary of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). This important appointment necessitated Michael to resign 18 months before his term as Board Chair was due to expire because of potential conflicts of interest in funding of state government agencies.
At his final Board meeting, Michael said, “What an honour it has been to be Board Chair of The Song Company. I love the company; I love the music and have been intellectually enriched in the time I have known the Company.”
The company, through Artistic Director Antony Pitts and Acting Board Chair Louise Guy thank Michael for his service to the company. Antony said, “Michael’s uncompromising tenacity and commitment have been key to not just our survival over the last few turbulent years, but to our continued growth and development as a keystone of the Australian musical ecosystem.”