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Our History...began in
1933, when a group of people interested in forming a Choir to
represent the City of Toowoomba in the Brisbane Eisteddfod met
and this resulted in the formation of the Toowoomba Musical Union.
In 1940, the name was changed to the Toowoomba Choral Society,
later to become Incorporated.
Initially, the Choir was
led by Mr Thomas Slatyer, who retired in 1950 and was replaced
by Mr Mansel Jones, a youthful Queensland Education Music Specialist
working in Toowoomba. He had, four years earlier, formed a youth
Choir of the Society, assisted by his Accompanist, Gwenda Tomkins
who later became his wife. Mansel now assumed control of both
Senior and Junior Choirs and led them for the next 34 years to
a string of successes in Competitions, as well as giving tremendous
pleasure to the citizens of Toowoomba, attending the various
Concerts and Stage Productions produced by the Society.
Mansel
Jones retired in 1984 and was replaced by Mr John Penny, who also
conducted the Youth Choir as had Mansel, but this joint control was
discontinued and a separate Conductor was appointed for the Youth
Choir. In 1997, Robyn Morris became our Musical Director for the Adult
Choir, having previously been the Senior Accompanist for the Adult
Choir for a number of years and earlier, the Junior Choir Accompanist
for Mansel Jones. Robyn also commenced a young Adults Choir,
"Contemporary Choral" comprising initially, many of the members from the
Society's very successful Stage Production "West Side Story". This
Choir has become a great Ambassador for the Society and has continued
to grow steadily in numbers and popularity with Toowoomba audiences.This 'injection' of new
young voices, has refreshed and changed the Choir's tone and
augers well for the future of the Society, particularly as Toowoomba's
Representative Competition Choir and a leader in the Choral Activities
of this City. 2010
saw the appointment of Martin Paroz as Musical Director of the Adult
Choir following the resignation of Robyn Morris due to health issues.
Apart from leading the Adult choir to both the 2010 and 2011
Eisteddfodau, Martin was also the production director for
Toowoomba Choral's musical productions 'Guys and Dolls' (2010) and
'Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' (2011). Following the
2011 Eisteddfod, Martin stepped down as Musical Director to follow
further career pursuits. In July 2011, Egbert Guichard was appointed Musical Director of The Toowoomba Choral Main Choir.
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