About
Us!
Based
in Melbourne, Australia, The Ashton-Smith
Singers Of Australia is an amateur choral
ensemble founded and directed by David Ashton-Smith
in 1980. The group averages 70 – 80
voices for most of its performances, which
vary across a wide spectrum of musical genres.
For a period of 25 years they have delighted
audiences with their energetic singing and
warm vocal colour. The group’s members
range in age from early 20’s through
to the more mature. Each new member, having
passed an audition process, moves quickly
into the busy rehearsal schedule and then
into a performance opportunity.
The
A.S.S. of Australia is privately funded and
managed by an 8 member consultative group
made up from its members.
The
group began in 1980 as a small ensemble of
24 voices, but soon grew when asked to join
a series of concerts with Dame Edna Everage
and the Australian Pops Orchestra in 1984.
Since then they have regularly performed with
the APO and have enjoyed contributing their
choral sound to diverse programs of Opera,
Music Theatre, Viennese, Broadway and Best
of British programs.
The Singers' film and television credits include:
appearances on TV specials; singing on the soundtrack
of the Australian film, "Garbo", music
by Alan Zavod; soundtracks for the films "Lilian's
Story", "Hoorah", "The Wog
Boy", and the tele-movie "After The
Deluge", with composer Cezary Skubiszewski.
Choral input to Skubiszewski's TV and film advertisements
include Ansett Australia, Mazda and the recent
2005 Carlton Draft extravaganza.
Members
of the Singers appeared in Melbourne concerts
with Michael Crawford in 1998. Since 1994 the
Singers have mounted successful annual Christmas
concerts, most recently at Sacred Heart church,
Kew, and have released two CD volumes, "Christmas
With The Ashton Smith Singers". They have
also presented concert performances of Mozart's
"Requiem", Haydn's "Nelson Mass"
and John Rutter's "Gloria".
The
Ashton-Smith Singers of Australia celebrated
their 25th Anniversary in July of 2005, at a
formal dinner at Leonda reception Centre.
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