Grace Notes Singers

Formed in 2013, our choir is made up of women in diverse stages of their lives. Our singers are university students, career women, business owners and mothers of young children. Most singers in the ensemble have been involved in good school or university choirs or have taken private voice lessons.  All have a passion for singing choral literature of artistic merit and happily embrace the many different musical styles we undertake - classical, folk, show tunes, spirituals, sacred, contemporary and works by Australian composers. We aim to develop culturally active young women through community service work such as singing at seniors’ homes and hospitals.  The choir enjoys promoting the Moonee Valley community through participation in local events and in the wider Victorian region. Performances include choral festivals, eisteddfods, collaborative concerts with the Essendon Choral Society, weddings, Christmas functions and occasional worship services.

Jan Goodall  Musical Director

Jan Goodall is a retired, class music specialist teacher and choir conductor. She loves anything to do with choirs – listening to, singing in and conducting them.  She is a co-founder of the Grace Note Singers and enjoys being on the other side of the conductor’s podium as a member of the Gisborne Singers. She has conducted the massed, 1000-voice choir at the State Schools’ Spectacular in Hisense Arena and in 2011, her children’s choir was honoured to sing at the Government House reception for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and His Highness Prince Phillip during their visit to Melbourne.  Jan taught for many years at Lowther Hall in Essendon and while there, formed the highly successful Festival Singers. This outstanding girls’ choir won many awards and Jan herself, received the prize of Best Conductor at the international Hear the People Sing choral championships in the early 90’s.  She has adjudicated choral competitions, run choir workshops, facilitated a four-week conducting course for teachers of school choirs and has written a series of workbooks for use in Kodaly class music programs. Jan is an ex-pat Canadian but has “called Australia home” for many years.

 Felicity Baldock Vocal Coach

South Australian born, Felicity Baldock, has a wide range of experience not only on the operatic stage and concert platform, but also as a sought after teacher, examiner and adjudicator. Graduating with a high distinction from the South Australian College of Advanced Education, she then went on to study in Italy, Germany and with Daniel Ferro in New York as the recipient of the South Australian Government Vocal Scholarship.  On her return to Australia, Felicity commenced a Young Artist Program with the State Opera of South Australia.  She has since sung with Opera Australia, the Brisbane Festival, Victorian State Opera, Melbourne City Opera and Melbourne Opera Company, debuting in the role of “Violetta” in La Traviata in 2003.  Felicity has a vast solo concert and oratorio repertoire which she has performed in Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and country Victoria.  She has also performed for the past twenty-seven years as soprano soloist at the annual, much loved “People’s Messiah”.

Ed Chan Accompanist

​Ed is a classical pianist who recently graduated from the Master of Music (Performance Teaching) program at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Prior to that, Ed studied in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore and had the privilege of receiving the tutelage of Maestro Lim Yau (ex-conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra) and Young Artist Award Winner, Dr. Zechariah Goh. Prior to his relocation to Melbourne, Ed was the Resident Choral Conductor of Hwa Chong Voices, an appointment he had assumed since 2008. He has also served as the resident conductor to Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Choir, Anderson Secondary School Choir and Assumption English School Choir. Ed’s love for vocal and choral music extends to his work as an accompanist. In 2015, he was awarded the best accompanist prize in an academy-wide vocal competition. He also worked as a rehearsal accompanist with the Singapore Symphony Children’s Chorus. Ed remains active as a vocalist, singing as a tenor with the newly established Hamer Singers and performing professionally with Melbourne's top all-male A Cappella group, Suade.

Southern Voices

Southern Voices is an SATB choir of talented, dedicated musicians whose aim is to provide beautiful music for any occasion, ranging from opera to alternative hip hop, music theatre to contemporary, major works to choral classics. Southern Voices’ wide range of repertoire places them in high demand for concerts, collaborations and festivals. The Southern Voices have previously collaborated the Grainger Wind Symphony, Malthouse Theatre's production of The Events, The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, CitiOpera, Australian Discovery Orchestras, Zelman Memorial Orchestra, and the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Sharon Batterham Musical Director

Sharon Batterham is a choral music specialist with over 25 years experience as a chorister, tutor and conductor. She has studied music at the University of Melbourne and holds both a Bachelor of Music in composition and voice, and a Bachelor of Music Education. Sharon is in demand as a presenter at choral workshops for children, teenagers and adults. She is currently developing a conductor and accompanist education program within the structure of Southern Voices. Sharon is the Director of Cantabella, the senior choir of Canterbury Girls' Secondary College. She also teaches voice at Killester College, OLSH College Bentleigh, and is the current President of the Australian National Choral Association's Victoria-Tasmania branch