1985, History and other events

In the beginning

It was the fourteenth of May, 1985, when Graham Ford received a phone call from Ian Lowe, conductor of the Eltham Community Orchestra. Graham and his wife Mavis were resident soloists with the Diamond Valley Choral Society, which had combined with Ian's orchestra for some excerpts of Haydn's Creation a few months before.

Ian, a talented pianist and bassoonist, had inherited the conducting position when the incumbent resigned on Ian's first rehearsal night - and he "volunteered".

Now the orchestra was organising a concert with a local madrigal group, the `Caledonia Singers', who had suggested performing Trial by Jury, and Ian was looking for soloists. Graham's reaction was to ask if they required a director; Mavis said she would `kill' for Angelina.

Graham and Mavis had met singing the solos in Elijah for the Diamond Valley Choral Society, and had been married just over a year. They already organised the `Diamond Creek Occasional Ecumenical Choir', which occasionally performed cantatas in the various churches, and both taught singing, so there was a nucleus to draw from. An article appeared in the local paper.

The Valley Musical Society, soon to become the Diamond Valley Singers, was formed from the start to raise money for charity. This raised $1300 for charity; this became a major goal for the group.

The following Wednesday, October 9, the first Annual General Meeting of the Valley Musical Society was held at Graham's home and he was elected president, with Alan Gerrets as Secretary and Bert de Luca as Treasurer, and a new amateur musical group was born.

Still on a high after the success of Trial by Jury and the official birth of the Valley Musical Society members decided that they could put their hand to any musical challenge. A Christmas program consisting of a Bach cantata and various carols (including two written by pianist Alan Gerrets), was undertaken.

The entire program was performed at a Pleasant Sunday Afternoon at Diamond Creek Uniting Church mid-December with Mavis conducting. The group also participated in carol services in Greensborough Baptist and St. John's Anglican Church, Diamond Creek.

The printed ticket for our premier performance.