Hello y'all I'm involved as bass soloist with this tomorrow...
Ascension Day Vespers
7:30pm Thursday 14 May 2026
JS Bach’s Wer da gläubet und getauft wird (BWV 37)
Cantata for Ascension Day
for 4 soloists, choir, strings, 2 oboes d’amore, and continuo
St Johns Bach Choir and Orchestra
directed by Graham Lieschke
entry: free
St Johns Southgate, 20 city rd.
Oliver's winter coat
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This is a ribbed drill cotton from @theclothshopivanhoe which I made into a very warm winter coat. I lined it with a quilted coverlet I found in Hamilton ages ago (thanks @peetmake for the suggestion), flipped the patch pockets for a subtle contrast and picked out the buttons from @tessutifabrics in Melbourne. When I put it on it feels like I'm getting into bed, which is great because the day feels like a dream. It's been harder to get up into the sewing room for one reason or another so finishing this feels like I'm still fighting and in it! I made a mistake with the cuff placket incisions on the shell but was able to save it and dust it away beneath the cuff plackets. So yay. Bring on winter!
Term 2, 2026 Singing with Oliver - Emperor Tomato Ketchup Choir
CLASSES OPEN!
Tomorrow is already here and Metronomic Underground are track 8 and track 1, respectively, from STEREOLAB’s @stereolabgroop 1996 album Emperor Tomato Ketchup - we explore both these lively grooves in Term 2 to celebrate 30 years of this album, and the bands first visit in a while. Then we look at Gary Ekkel’s 4-part arrangement of Psalm 45 “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold” based on “O Radix Jesse” (H39) by Marc Antione Charpentier in 1639. Envy is the 81st 2-part vocal study from my well-thumbed copy of Zoltan Kodaly’s Bicinia Hungarica: “Envy grows where weeds are flowering, envy’s like a wine that’s souring”. Carousel Horses is a song by Christian Lee Hutson @christianleehutson from his album Paradise Pop.10 (deluxe) - here harmonised by Odessa Jorgensen @thisisodessa - a beautiful 2-part.
Songs:
Metronomic Underground - Stereolab
Tomorrow is already here - Stereolab
Psalm 45 (“The Queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold”) - Charpentier (arr. Ekkel)
Envy - Bicinia Hungarica (arr. Kodaly)
Carousel Horses (deluxe version) - Christian Lee Hutson
What: Term 2, 2026 - Singing classes with Oliver
When:
Tuesdays 6pm Apr 28/ May 5, 12, 19, 26/ Jun 2, 9, 16, 23, 25 (end-of-term sing)
Thursdays 6pm Apr 23, 30/ May 7, 14, 21, 28/ Jun 4, 11, 18, 25 (end-of-term sing)
I'm joining this great bunch of musicians - Genesis Baroque - as well as the Australian Boys Choir for Bach's epic and rending St. John Passion. Singing the Bass arias and the role of Pilatus. Tomorrow (Sat 28/3) in Ballarat, Sunday (29/3) in Brighton. This piece is a challenge. It's large in scale and harmonically very colourful (dark colourful!). It's intense, sad but also hits right in the heart. You can find performance details through the Genesis Baroque website, or the Australian Boys Choir.
THE CHRONICLES with @stephanielakecompany OPENS tonight in Adelaide for the Adelaide Festival @adelaidefestival with beautiful singing from the @youngadelaidevoices and an incredible score from @foxalot and little old ME! Opens tonight, runs through to Sunday with two shows on Saturday - at the Dunstan Playhouse in the AF center.
Come and join the I DREAM A HIGHWAY CHOIR for a one-off performance of "I Dream a Highway" at @galesbrewery 6PM Thursday APRIL 2 - Brunswick, Vic, Melb, Australia. All welcome. guitars, banjos, boots, leather fringes, rhinestones, bolo ties. Get learning those lyrics! @gillianwelchofficial@daverawlingsmachine@jacintaparsons@briannankervis@ekwek@elissawlkr@b.m.ran@donaldrusselletc@nadinelangchristensen@voice_imitator@vbc.art Refrain: Oh, I dream a highway back to you, love
A winding ribbon with a band of gold
A silver vision, come and rest my soul
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 1: John, he's kicking out the footlights
The Grand Ole Opry's got a brand new band
Lord, let me die with a hammer in my hand
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 2: I think I'll move down into Memphis
And thank the hatchet man who forked my tongue
I lie and wait until the wagons come
And dream a highway back to you
Verse 3: The getaway kickin' up cinders
An empty wagon full of rattling bones
Moon in the mirror on a three hour Jones
I dream a highway back to you
Oh, I dream a highway back to you, love
A winding ribbon with a band of gold
A silver vision, come arrest my soul
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 4: Which lover are you, Jack of Diamonds?
Now you be Emmylou and I'll be Gram
I send a letter, don't know who I am
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 5: I'm an indisguisable shade of twilight
Any second now, I'm gonna turn myself on
In the blue display of the cool cathode ray
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 6: I wish you knew me, Jack of Diamonds
Fire riding, wheeling when I lead 'em up
Drank whiskey with my water, sugar in my tea
My sails in rags with the staggers and the jags
I dream a highway back to you
Oh, I dream a highway back to you, love
A winding ribbon with a band of gold
A silver vision, come molest my soul
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 7: Now, give me some of what you're having
I'll take you as a viper into my head
A knife into my bed, arsenic when I'm fed
I dream a highway back to you
Verse 8: Hang overhead from all directions
Radiation from the porcelain light
Blind and blistered by the morning white
I dream a highway ....etc
What a moment! 🤩
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were surprised by a choir singing I Dream a Highway, live on the Friday Revue.
Choirmaster Oliver Mann from Manner of Singing came up with the plan to somehow gift Gillian and Dave the heavily rehearsed, highly technical choir take on Gillian’s I Dream a Highway. And sure did it pay off!
Tune in to The Friday Revue on 774 ABC Radio Melbourne or on ABC listen via the link in our bio.
#774ABCMelbourne
Just six weeks until The Chronicles at Adelaide Festival!
Do not miss it! 👏🌾👏🌾👏🌾
Featuring 12 dancers plus singer Oliver Mann and 30 children from @youngadelaidevoices
“Breathtaking. Profoundly moving.”
Dance Informa
“Joyous and awe inspiring.”
Cultural Binge ★★★★½
“A supersonic sensitive beast that breathes in the fragility of life. Epic.”
Arts Hub ★★★★
The Chronicles
Adelaide Festival
@adelaidefestival
March 12-15, 2026
Dunstan Playhouse
Images: @daniel.boud
Term 1, 2026 Bookings Open!
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Term 1, 2026 Singing with Oliver - I Dream a Highway Choir
Songs
“I Dream a Highway” in all it’s 15 minute glory - some Christmas holiday work may be called for to get ears and heads around it’s beautiful breadth, but it will repay us tenfold! Gillian Welch visits at the end of Feb - imagine if we ran our Tuesday class singing it at stage door like real fans!? (Cowboy boots optional)/ we dial in the gorgeous James Rose once again with “Belong”, always touching our brains and our hearts/ Wraggle Taggle Gypsies is a classic. Then we polish up “Bring it on home”, “Gute Nacht” and “ I don’t understand anything” as we increase the run-way into a December 2026 performance, somewhere… there’s a place for us. Somewhere.”
I Dream a Highway - Gillian Welch (complete song)
Belong - James Rose
The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies - from 46 two-part American Folk Songs
Bring it on home - Sam Cooke
Gute Nacht, o wesen - J.S. Bach
I Don’t understand anything - Everything but the girl
What: Term 1, 2026 - Singing classes with Oliver
When:
Tuesdays 6pm Jan 27/ Feb 3, 10, 17, 24/ Mar 3, 17, 24, 31/ Apr 2 (end-of-term sing)
Thursdays 6pm Jan 22, 29/ Feb 5, 12, 19, 26/ Mar 5, 19, 26/ Apr 2 (end-of-term sing)
NB Oliver will be away 10/3 & 12/3. Saturday Classes will run 14/2 & 7/3 time TBC
Cost: $100/ term. Please note the final class for all will be the Thursday 2/4 with a get-together of all classes, venue tbc.
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I'm launching an album @olivermann_stefanopilia I made with Stefano Pilia @stefanopiliaviviani , this Saturday. Stefano is out touring with his outfit @sullalinguamusic so we gonna ride with it and LAUNCH BABY. There's not a great deal of room in this space so please book if you want to come... Eastmint @eastmint is at 25 Eastment st. in Northcote. 🏹 "Sculptural, dreamlike and intimately detailed, the album Precious Moments (eastmint009) released on limited edition cassette and Digitally via Eastmint on 25 November 2022. This ephemeral collaboration comes together again to perform remembrances of this acclaimed album and new moments." We will have @mick.turner and @mulazonamc there in ❤️ but not in person. Just me and Stef blazing away.
