<![CDATA[Polly Christie - Blog]]>Tue, 12 May 2026 03:35:18 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[The Organ]]>Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:42:30 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/the-organRecently the Pollyphonics Choir have added a new member and he is not only a great bass singer, but he also plays the organ. This has prompted me to find repertoire for choir and organ, especially contemporary  repertoire. It also made me think about one of my most extraordinary musical experiences I have had in my life.

In my twenties I made a big round the world trip and visited a few European cities. Paris was on the list of course, but by this stage I had traveled for a year and my money was pretty tight.  Luckily I discovered Paris Scope, the magazine that listed free music all over Paris! So every day with my dog-eared Paris Scope, I would catch the metro and attend concerts in halls, conservatoires, churches, down little lane ways with addresses I barely understood and  I would hear what Paris had to offer.

One concert that has always stayed in my being is the organ recital I had the utmost privilege of hearing at Notre Dame Cathedral.

The recital started off like a "normal" recital, but as the music continued, it became more intense and harmonically dense. The sounds swirled in the Cathedral, and I sat, one tiny human being, among  the cascading sounds of the organ billowing around me. Then, not a sound, not a note that I could detect, but a feeling in my body, a rumbling, a vibration.

The organist had "pulled out all the stops" to produce the lowest note the organ could play. Not really audible, it can not be described by the ears, but felt by the body. Slowly, my body realised what was happening, this organist was using everything, the chords, the stops, the architecture, the winter cold air, the history, 20th Century harmony to produce a musical vibration  that went right through my body and one that I have not forgotten in 25 years.

A few months ago Notre Dame Cathedral was burnt. The organ is not totally destroyed but it will take an enormous restoration to get it back to its former self.  What a privilege I have had to experience the harmonic brilliance of one of the most profound organs in the world.

Although we mostly associate the organ with Church music, it has also been an instrument where new harmonies and new sounds have been discovered, and I very much look forward to trawling youtube to find some amazing contemporary organ and choral music.  

 ]]><![CDATA[Rosewood Music Camp]]>Wed, 02 Oct 2019 01:13:01 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/rosewood-music-campRosewood Music Camp is an annual family music camp that is on the same weekend as the Grand Final. I have just returned with my family from three days of amazing music and although we are all a wee bit exhausted, my cup is overflown with the joy and fullness of the weekend. It is difficult to put into words all the layers that the camp brings to your being, but I do know that it is a unique opportunity to totally unplug from the commercial fast paced world we often find ourselves in and experience true connection both with friends and with ourselves.

The music at the camp ranges from celtic to jazz and much in between. We have song writers, horn players, lots and lots of ukulele strummers, viollins, cellos, whistles all emanating from the workshop tents and camp sites.

The camp has been running for 22 years and every year I go I always remark that every time it feels like the best camp ever!! 

Everyone is welcome, families that want to join their kids in a bit of music making, older couples, loads of teenagers, toddlers, groups of friends with or without kids...everyone. No previous experience in playing an instrument is even necessary as their is always beginner classes in either ukulele/marimba/whistles etc.

The youth band blows my mind every year, normally the power and beauty of 60 musically adept teenagers playing together brings me to tears, and ensemble...you just have to be a part of it to know the ecstatic joy of sitting in amongst 100 people playing music together...

Every Grand Final weekend, 400 people gather in a valley to create a little bit of heaven on earth.  Make sure you join us next year, 25th-28th September 2020.

Find out more and get on the mailing list: 
Web: www.rosesgapmusiccamp.org.au/rosewood-camp.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosewoodmusiccamp/

]]><![CDATA[Polly's 12 day gigathon...]]>Sun, 15 Sep 2019 07:57:58 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/pollys-12-day-gigathonPicture

Polly’s Gigathon…8 gigs in 12 days!
Some people run marathons but I have just run a gigathon…
8 gigs, 3 rehearsals, and 1 professional photo shoot all in the last 12 days and I have had an absolute ball.
​
​Here is the snapshot of a tired but happy choir conductor, music educator and performer.

Wednesday, Gig no 1: I created and produced the Kyneton Primary School production, Ganawarra (Black Swan). 178 students sang, danced, told migration stories, wore sparkly costumes and shone on the Kyneton Town Hall stage.
 


Thursday evening: Pollyphonics Choir rehearsal.
 
Friday evening: went to ABC studios in Melbourne to see my friend being filmed in Hard Quiz.
 
Saturday night, Gig no 2: Kyneton Community Ball. I performed jazz and soul songs with a 25-piece concert band on the Kyneton Town Hall stage.
 
Sunday afternoon: rehearsal with the Pollyphonics Choir and a professional photo shoot with my choir.
 
Monday evening: Rod Laver Arena to see Fleetwood Mac…Stevie sang Landslide just for me! AWESOME.
 
Tuesday, Gig no 3: Conducted my Primary School choir of 50 kids in the Daffodil Festival as part of music in the park series.
 
Thursday evening: technical run with Pollyphonics Choir.
 
Friday evening: Gig no.4. My amazing choir performed their Cabaret show, “Change The World” at the Bluestone Theatre in Kyneton. We booked out! The evening was filled with amazing singing, lots of costume bling and you could definitely feel the love in the room.
 
Saturday evening. Went to Melbourne Arena to see my daughter Sylvie in the State School Spectacular.
 
Sunday, Gig no.5.I donned a sparkly costume, a blue wig with daffodils in my hair and played tambourine with the Kyneton Street band as we participated in the Kyneton Daffodil Parade.
 
….and if this isn’t enough to let me know my life is abundant and amazing, I also won the Kyneton Netball raffle last Saturday which was a basket full of gifts and vouchers.
 
Having the opportunity to “Change the World” by creating musical opportunities for young people at Kyneton Primary School, adults in the Pollyphonics, use my voice to open up and be real and spread a bit of bling magic tambourine really makes me feel very lucky and blessed to be alive. 

Picture
]]><![CDATA[Becoming a Primary School Choir Conductor]]>Fri, 16 Aug 2019 12:19:42 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/becoming-a-primary-school-choir-conductorOver the last year I have had the pleasure of working with 50 Grade 3-6 students to form a school choir and these are the things the students have taught me...
  • Children learn lyrics much faster than adults do
  • When they sing in time and together they melt my heart
  • Children  love to support and encourage each other 
  • Children LOVE getting rewards like praise in abundance, stickers and ribbons
  • Good conducting results in a cohesive, blended  sound
  • Singing and movement are intrisically linked
  • Choir kids rock
  • Children will sing and enjoy a song from any genre and decade if it is in a key that suits their pitch range
  • Some children will develop vibrato easily
  • The sound of 50 students singing in tune makes every second worth living






]]><![CDATA[2015 Highlights]]>Wed, 30 Dec 2015 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/2015-highlights
]]><![CDATA[Polly waffles]]>Fri, 30 Oct 2015 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/polly-wafflesI have been popping open the champagne bottles and throwing my hat in the air and shouting hip hip hooray because I  just completed a Graduate Diploma in teaching last week. It’s been a busy year! I am now keen to look into how I can develop a music program for teachers. I will also be focusing on all the other music making projects I have on the go like developing my singing teaching work at a local secondary school, making a CD with my choir the Pollyphonics and performing with my partner Andy Rigby in duet’s and bands. This Sunday Andy and I will be broadcast on ABC Radio National, the Rhythm Divine show at 1.30 pm. It was absolutely terrific to perform at Woodford Folk Festival in QLD at the start of the year in the gorgeous Folklorica stage and now ABC can bring a little bit of that vibe to you via the wireless!  http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rhythmdivine/the-heavenly-harp/6888340]]><![CDATA[A Musical Summer]]>Wed, 14 Jan 2015 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.pollychristie.com/pollyblog/a-musical-summerPolly, Andy and daughter Sylvie began the New Year at Woodford Folk Festival- it’s big, it’s hot, it’s muddy…it is Australia s largest folk festival and it is full of amazing musicians, circus performers, traditional dance troupes, wacky street scenes and one of of the 20+ stages Andy and Polly performed their unique blend of Celtic and Latin American songs and instrumentals. Andy had his regular harp fans (affectionately called  “harp nutters”) sitting in the front rows marveling at his handy work on the strings and Polly moved from playing the joropo rhythm  on the 4 stringed Venezuelan cuatro (small guitar) to singing a celtic ballad, to her original compositions. We also had the great fortune of playing in the Folklorica Stage for New Years Eve which will be broadcast later this year on ABC Radio National, (Rhythm Devine, with Geoff Wood).
​
One of  my personal highlights form the festival were the Fez Hamadche Sufi Brothers. A group of 5 men and two women singing, chanting and dancing performing ancient  mystic rituals. It was hypnotic and incredible to witness ritual in action. I spoke to one of the women in the group and found out this particular brotherhood is very supportive of sisters. What an opportunity to meet such beautiful Muslims.

I also really loved the Flying Fruit Fly Circus performance: a group of five young graduates from the school in Albury. The physical skill and incredible group trust was totally exhilarating.

We then came back to Victoria and headed down to Koroit Lakeschool Music Camp and I will blog about that next!
​
In Harmony,
Polly]]>