The Church
Music
Music has an important role to play in the functioning of society and has had for many thousands of years. No human culture appears to be without music. Singing, in particular, seems to be universal. Music is invariably expressed in relation to religion. The music program at St Michael's each week brings us some of the best musicians and music that Australia has to offer to enrich our experience during our Sunday services at special events during the year.
Choral Singing at St Michael's
Since the appointment of our organist and manager of music, Rhys Boak, a small professional ensemble of singers has been formed to sing during special services. This ensemble, known as The St Michael's Singers, performs at various special services throughout the year.
Visiting choirs also appear regularly at St Michael's including the Eltham East Primary School, and the Choir of Trinity College from the University of Melbourne, The Australian Chamber Choir, Young Voices of Melbourne and The Consort of Melbourne.
Instrumental music at St Michael's
As has been the tradition at St Michael's, a wide variety of musicians will perform for us during our Sunday services. During the selection process for guest artists, great attention has been paid to sourcing the highest quality performers from a wide variety of fields.
Please check your orders of service each week to see who will be performing the following Sunday or on the 'What's on This Week' page of this website. Brochures are usually available from the rear of the church or from the office.
Thursday lunchtime recitals
Every Thursday at 1.00pm, the St Michael's Carillon is sounded and the grand organ comes to life for a free 30 minute recital. Now entering into their sixth year, these recitals are well attended by the public.
Presided over over by the St Michael's organist, Rhys Boak, these recitals are given by distinguished local and international musicians.
Please check your orders of service each week to see who will be performing the following Thursday or click here for a listing.
Music on Sundays
Performers at Sunday Service have included:
- Genevieve Lacey - Recorder Virtuoso
- The Late Geoffrey Tozer
- Jeff Crellin - Principle Oboe, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
- Prudence Davis - Flute (recipient of the 2006 St Michael's Medallion)
- Amir Farid - Piano
- Judith Dodsworth - Soprano
- Bonnie and Hollie Smart
- Jerzy Kozlowski - Bass
- Miwako Abe - Violin
- The Australian Chamber Choir
- Zoe Knighton - Cello
- Greta Bradman - Soprano
- Siobhan Stagg - Soprano
- Geoffry Payne - Trumpet
- The Flinders Quartet
- Frederick Shade - Piccolo
- Noriko Tadano - Syamisen
- The Eltham East Prinary School Choir led by Anne Williams
- The Choir of Hard Knocks led by Jonathan Welch (recipient of the 2007 St Michael's Medallion)
- Julie Raines - Harp
To see the current guest musicians for Thursday Organ Recitals and Sunday services, please go to our events page.
*Please note upcoming music may be subject to change.
Thursday Organ Recitals
Thursday, June 20
Jessica Foot (Oboe)
and Rhys Boak (organ)
As part of the weekly lunchtime organ
recital series at Melbourne's stunning
St Michael's Church, the St Michael's
organist, Rhys Boak, is joined monthly
by some of Melbourne's finest
instrumentalists and singers.
Come along and hear Jessica Foot (oboe)in this superb heritage listed venue widely regarded as one of Australia's architectural treasures.
Admission is free.
Jessica Foot began the oboe with Sue Tayor at the age of 10. Growing up in Melbourne, she attended the specialist music school Blackburn High whilst studying with Anne Gilby. She completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts with Eve Newsome in 2004, and continued her study at the Australian National Academy of Music with Jeffrey Crellin in 2006.
Assisted by the Dorothy Fraser Travelling Scholarship, as well as funding granted by the Ian Potter Cultural Trust, Jess moved to Germany in 2008 for further study and in 2010completed a Master of Music as student of Professor Thomas Indermühle at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. Study in Australia and abroad has afforded her the opportunity to take lessons and master courses with many inspiring pedagogues including Diana Doherty, Jacques Tys, Peter Veale, Alexei Ogrintchouk, Christian Schmitt, Stefan Schilli, Christian Wetzel, Diethelm Jonas and Francois Leleux.
Jess really enjoys opportunities to perform in both chamber music and orchestral contexts. She is a casual player with Orchestra Victoria, the Sydney Symphony, and the West Australian, Adelaide and Queensland Symphony Orchestras. She performed as a chamber music fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music in 2011, and was selected to take part in the International Ensemble Modern Summer Academy in Innsbruck in 2012. She has appeared as a soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and with the Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras as a Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards finalist in 2008 and 2012. She has also performed concertos with the chamber orchestra of the Australian National Academy of Music, the Heidelberg Choral Society Orchestra, the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and the U3A Orchestra of Hawthorn.