Come swing to the Sounds of Southgate

Voice teacher, choral director and composer Kate Sadler has brought her passion for music to Southbank.

The soon-to-be Southbank resident has recently launched a community choir, The Sounds of Southgate, at St John’s Church.

Having worked in music theatre, television and cabaret and performed with most of Australia’s opera companies, Ms Sadler is considered one of Australia’s most renowned choral experts.

While she continues to enjoy operating a thriving voice studio in Northcote, working as a conductor and leading a number of vocal and choral workshops, she said she was excited to start a new chapter.

“It’s the precursor to a big move in my life, I will be moving into Southbank next year,” she said. “It’s time for a change and I thought to myself well I’ve got this amazing situation now how can I make this possibly better?”

“I wanted to be more in the middle of where music is happening and being made in Melbourne with the College of the Arts, the State Theatre and the whole Arts Precinct is here.”

While most would normally associate a church-based choir with a traditional themed sound, Kate’s broad background across almost every genre means the Sounds of Southgate will be no ordinary choir.

“I hesitate to call it a choir because I think it brings a whole load of preconceived ideas about what a choir might be. So it’s not called a choir but clearly it is a choir!” she said.

“My background is very broad and that’s what I also bring to my choir so it could be anything.”

Sounds of Southgate is open to anyone to join – no previous experience necessary.

With two 16-week seasons per year, the choir will finish each season with a concert called Southgate Sings, which will be held at the church.

Kate said she hoped the initiative would help grow a sense of community in Southbank and she encouraged everyone to come and give it a go.

“Southbank has a very wide demographic and that’s why originally this is a non-auditioning choir I just want people to come in the door and then see what we can make of it,” she said.

“This kind of architecture with the high-rise living can be soulless and cold and of course music is such a wonderful way of bringing people together so it gives them a central purpose.”

Sounds of Southgate is held every Tuesday at St Johns Church in Southgate from 6.15pm – 8.00 pm. www.thesadlerstudio.com