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In 2005
FremantleMedia Australia Fremantle Australia Pty Ltd. (formerly FremantleMedia Australia) is the Australian arm of global British production and entertainment company Fremantle. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of market leader Grundy Television and comedy speciali ...
producer Jason Stephens brought the idea of a television series called the Choir of Hard Knocks to the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
. In an interview on Australian Story by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
, Stephens said "I'd always been quite fascinated by choirs. Living in Melbourne during that time 2005 the homelessness problem was more obvious, I guess. And I kind of thought it would be interesting to put those two ideas together to see if we could make a choir out of homeless and disadvantaged people." The ABC and Fremantle chose Reclink, a charity that had worked with homeless people in the past, as the charity that would work with the television construct and cast the choir conductor
Jonathon Welch Jonathon Charles Welch (born 5 October 1958) is an Australian choral conductor, opera singer and voice teacher. As a singer, Welch has been a tenor for the Victoria State Opera, Lyric Opera of Queensland and Opera Australia. During 2006 Welc ...
. The five-part
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
documentary TV series of the same name, broadcast weekly from May 2007 and released two albums, ''Choir of Hard Knocks: the Voice of RecLink'' (26 May 2007), which peaked at No. 21 on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, and ''Songs of Hope and Inspiration'' (7 December 2007), which reached No. 39. A DVD of the series also titled, ''Choir of Hard Knocks: the Voice of RecLink'', was issued in August. A second series in November 2007 followed the choir members preparing for a concert at the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. In April 2009 the choir was replaced by the
Choir of Hope and Inspiration In 2005 FremantleMedia Australia producer Jason Stephens brought the idea of a television series called the Choir of Hard Knocks to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In an interview on Australian Story by the Australian Broadcasting Cor ...
after a falling-out between Welch and RecLink.


History

The Choir of Hard Knocks was the brainchild of Jason Stephens of
FremantleMedia Australia Fremantle Australia Pty Ltd. (formerly FremantleMedia Australia) is the Australian arm of global British production and entertainment company Fremantle. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of market leader Grundy Television and comedy speciali ...
in conjunction with the charity Reclink, a not for profit community organisation that provides sport and arts opportunities to those experiencing social and economic disadvantage. Their name references the phrase,
school of hard knocks The School of Hard Knocks (also referred to as the University of Life or University of Hard Knocks) is an idiomatic phrase meaning the (sometimes painful) education one gets from life's usually negative experiences, often contrasted with formal ...
: learning by experiencing life, not through classrooms.
Jonathon Welch Jonathon Charles Welch (born 5 October 1958) is an Australian choral conductor, opera singer and voice teacher. As a singer, Welch has been a tenor for the Victoria State Opera, Lyric Opera of Queensland and Opera Australia. During 2006 Welc ...
, a former tenor with
Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of ...
who had previously developed a similar choir, the Sydney Street Choir, was cast as the choir master. Welch had studied the
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
Homeless Men's Choir in late 1999 and established a choir of homeless people for a TV project – the Sydney Street Choir – in 2001. Stephens and his organisation, FremantleMedia Australia, created the ABC TV five-part documentary series, ''Choir of Hard Knocks'', after pitching the idea to chronicle the formation and progress of a choir in Melbourne. In 2005 Stephens had also learnt of the Montreal group and convinced Welch to participate in the documentary as music director and choirmaster. The funding organisation behind the choir was managed by RecLink, which subsequently expanded its choir program nationally and later supported eight similar choirs around Australia including the Transformers, Choir of High Hopes Hobart, Sydney Street Choir and the Rocky Road Choir. Recruiting was by word of mouth and through community organisations with rehearsals beginning in September 2006. The original ensemble had 47 members. Welch canvassed other charities for funding and support to advertise the choir's first rehearsal. After six weeks of rehearsals, their premiere performance occurred in October 2016. Bridget McManus of ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'', observed, "the timing might not have been perfect, the soloist was a little shaky, and a wild-haired man at the back had a tendency to echo the last word of every line, but the infectious enthusiasm of the group belting out 'Blame It on the Boogie' – in unison, with all the actions – was hard to ignore. At the front of the group, by the Flinders Street Station steps, stood a spirited conductor on whom all singers' eyes were fixed despite the peak-hour bustle." As at May 2007, the choir had about 50 members. The choir raised money, initially, to record a CD single for promotion and individual sales, through
busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
in city streets. They also held a fund-raising concert at the
Melbourne Town Hall Melbourne Town Hall is the central city town hall of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is a historic building in the state of Victoria since 1867. Located in the central business district on the northeast corner of the intersection between S ...
on 7 March 2007. For that performance they were supported by
Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus (MGLC) was founded in Australia in 1990 by a gay performer and activist, Lawrence Emanuel (1966). The chorus was first named 'AL sounds', due to its part affiliation with the Foundation. In April 1994, the na ...
and by the Sydney Street Choir. Weekly broadcasts of the TV series commenced in early May 2007. The Choir of Hard Knocks later performed at the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
, which was broadcast in a second series as ''Choir of Hard Knocks Opera House Special'' in November. A self-titled companion CD to the first series, ''Choir of Hard Knocks: the Voice of RecLink'', was released on 26 May 2007 containing traditional songs, "
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
" and "
Silent Night "Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...
" and cover versions of pop rock tracks, "
Flame Trees "Flame Trees" is a song by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel from their 1984 album ''Twentieth Century''. One of their best known songs, it was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and keyboardist Don Walker. On its release it reached No.&nbs ...
" (originally by
Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes (at the ...
) and "
Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...
" (
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
). Seven tracks were recorded at Sing Sing Studios,
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
, nine tracks were recorded live from their first Melbourne Town Hall concert. It was each and every member's first experience in a recording studio. The album peaked at No. 21 on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and remained in the top 50 for 16 weeks. At the end of that year it was certified as a platinum record for shipment of 70,000 units. It appeared at No. 3 on ARIA's End of Year Charts – Top 50 Classical Albums 2007 and No. 46 on the next year's chart. An associated DVD of the same name was issued in August 2007 and became the second highest selling Australian documentary DVD for that year. Their second album, ''Songs of Hope and Inspiration'' was released on 7 December 2007, which reached No. 39. By the end of the following year it was certified gold for shipment of 35,000 copies. It appeared at No. 9 on ARIA's End of Year Charts – Top 50 Classical Albums 2007 and No. 43 in the following year. The DVD of the second series, ''Choir of Hard Knocks: Opera House Special'', was issued in November 2008.


Choir of Hope and Inspiration

Following a split between RecLink and Welch in March 2009, the latter formed a new not-for-profit entity, the Melbourne Street Choir, Inc (MSC). Supported by a ''
pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
'' committee of management (board), MSC focussed on a new choir and delivered a greater level of transparency and accountability to choir members in relation to all of its activities. Many members of the original choir followed Welch to the MSC which recommenced public performances from 29 April 2009 at the
Melbourne International Jazz Festival The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz music festival first held in Melbourne, Australia in 1998. The Festival takes place in concert halls, arts venues, jazz clubs and throughout the streets of Melbourne. The 2021 Festiva ...
. On 21 May Welch launched the
Choir of Hope and Inspiration In 2005 FremantleMedia Australia producer Jason Stephens brought the idea of a television series called the Choir of Hard Knocks to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In an interview on Australian Story by the Australian Broadcasting Cor ...
with a training choir, the Morning Bell Choir (named due to their training sessions beginning early in the day), while the main choir was established as the Choir of Pride & Joy.


Discography


Studio albums

, - ! scope="row", ''The Choir of Hard Knocks'' , * Released: May 2007 * Label: ABC Classic (4766166) * Formats: CD, digital download , 21 , *
ARIA In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
: Platinum , - ! scope="row", ''Songs of Hope and Inspiration'' , * Released: December 2007 * Label: ABC Classic (4766347) * Formats: CD, digital download , 39 , *ARIA: Gold


Awards and nominations


ARIA Awards

The
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
.''Sydney Morning Herald'', Battlers in Choir reap award, 16 October 2007
/ref>


Logie Awards

At the
Logie Awards of 2008 The 50th Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 4 May 2008 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast on the Nine Network. For the first time in the Logie Awards 50-year history, there was no host for the ceremony, but only a seri ...
, the first TV series won Most Outstanding Factual Series and was nominated for Most Popular Factual Program. At the
8th Helpmann Awards The 2008 Helpmann Awards were presented on 28 July 2008 at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney. The ceremony was hosted by Jonathan Biggins and Julia Zemiro and was broadcast live on Bio. (Foxtel's biography channel). Nominees (winners are bolded) T ...
in July 2008 their appearance at the Sydney Opera House, ''Choir of Hard Knocks: Live in Concert'', won Best Special Event.Georgiou, Andrew
Helpmann Awards 2008
, ''Time Out Sydney'', 29 July 2008.


References


External links


Choir of Hard Knocks''The Choir of Hard Knocks''
at ABC TV {{DEFAULTSORT:Choir of Hard Knocks, The ARIA Award winners Australian choirs Organisations based in Melbourne Homelessness in Australia Homeless people