By Dongyun Kwon
With the ups and downs on the journey, Badger Creek Women’s Choir (BCWC) finally has reached its 10-year anniversary.
The choir will perform a free concert to celebrate its significant milestone on Saturday 16 November at The Memo, Healesville.
Choir director Jenny Legg said the past 10-year journey has been wonderful where she has made a lot of new friends.
“It’s taken me to a lot more study about choral arranging and conducting,” she said.
“It’s become a big part of my life, and I feel it adds a lot of value to the community and my life.”
Over 30 singers will come along to sing together for the 10th anniversary.
The concert will comprise 12 songs including Australian rock, Celtic and blues, and soul music by BCWC along with a performance by the special band.
BCWC began in 2014 with a group of women who wanted to meet, sing, laugh and bring a little harmony into their lives.
Since then, over 70 women have sung with the choir, and it currently has about 35 members.
“I was the music teacher at Badger Creek Primary School, and some of the mums asked if I knew of a local choir, and I didn’t,” Legg said.
“It seemed to be that people were looking for somewhere to sing, so I decided I would start a choir.
“I was well placed to run a choir because I have a music degree.”
The choir performs annually at The Memo, Healesville, Healesville Anzac Day commemorations, Community Carols and several other community events and venues.
Occasionally, BCWC also joins with the Badger Creek Children’s Choir to deliver exciting, vibrant and moving events.
The annual concert had to be held off for several years because of the Covid pandemic and finally came back in October last year.
Legg said the last year’s concert went successfully although she was nervous to stand in front of the audience again after a few years of gap.
“It was fantastic. It couldn’t have been better. The Memo was full,” she said.
“I hadn’t done a concert for a while, and there’s a lot of things to pull together, a lot of people involved.”
Yarra Ranges Council has supported the BCWC along with its 10-year journey by offering a concert and meeting venue as well as grants including the Partnership Program, which is a four-year grant program.
The choir director said the entry door for the choir is open for every woman.
“It’s a community choir. You don’t have to audition [to get in],” Legg said.
“We put a big emphasis on being a welcoming and relaxed space where people can make friends.
“It’s a safe space for women to make friends and improve their singing skills.”
BCWC has a regular meeting every Wednesday night from 7pm at The Memo, Healesville during school terms and enjoys dinner together at a pub on occasion.
Any local woman who wishes to join the choir is encouraged to contact Jenny Legg via Badger Creek Women’s Choir’s Facebook page.
To book a ticket, please visit the following website, yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Experience/Events/Badger-Creek-Women%E2%80%99s-Choir-10th-Year-Anniversary-Concert
