MATTHEW Schultz has spent his whole life enamoured by music, and is now sharing that by being the musical director for Wangaratta's Vocal Dimension choir.
Matthew became interested in music from a young age, leading him to learn to sing, play piano, organ and trumpet and obtain a Bachelor of Music at the Australian Catholic University majoring, in pipe organ performance and choir conducting.
"Hearing the sounds of singing and organs when I was very young, and also the marching bands at festivals, made an impression on me and continued that interest in music for so long," he said.
He added that he was also greatly inspired not only by some of his favourite artists, Australian jazz musician James Morrison, French organist Oliver Latry and British band Muse, but also by his high school music teachers.
"My high school music teachers – Bill Scott, David Roe and John Bumford, among others – not only taught me musical skills, but demonstrated the power of music–making to build inclusive community," he said.
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After growing up in Euroa, Matthew spent 20 years in Melbourne before moving to Wangaratta just over 18 months ago, and will lead Vocal Dimension in their upcoming concerts on May 27 and 28.
Vocal Dimension, previously the Wangaratta Choristers, was founded by David Carolane OAM in 1985 and the group normally holds three performance series per year, with a broad range of choral, classical and specialist music chosen on a theme.
Every second year they join with Beechworth and Albury choirs to create the Three Choirs Festival, which will be held again this September.
For the upcoming May concerts, Matthew has curated a unique musical program around the theme of life, love, death and taxes.
"It's a bit unusual because I've never been to a choir concert where they sing about tax but we have a couple of pieces about tax," he said.
"One of them is by contemporary Melbourne composer Stuart Greenbaum who is Professor of Composition at the University of Melbourne, so we're going to sing a rarely–performed piece of his."
"As the saying goes, they're the only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and so I thought that was a neat way to string it all together."
The centrepiece of the performance that Matthew is excited for the audience to hear is Gabriel Faure's Requiem, a 40–minute work of great beauty, which is performed by choirs almost as frequently as Handel's masterpiece Messiah.
He chose this piece as it not only suited the concert theme, but also because it's a work he first experienced in high school when he was a part of a combined schools choir.
"We sang this Requiem at the concert hall with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, so that's where I fell in love with the piece and it's going to be a great privilege to conduct it with Vocal Dimension this year," he said.
Matthew's favourite instrument to play, the pipe organ, will feature in the performance, with the Wangaratta Cathedral's Director of Music, Dr Kieran Crichton, accompanying the choir on the cathedral's recently–restored, massive Willis pipe organ.
At the Benalla performance, Dr Crichton will utilise the delightful smaller pipe organ situated in that venue, which will be a real treat for audience members attending that performance.
Matthew's love for the pipe organ comes from its complexity and beautiful sound, which will be integral to the choir's upcoming performance.
"The range of different tonal colours and dynamics, from soft to loud, make it a versatile, but complicated instrument," Matthew said.
"It's the original 'synthesizer', developed long before modern electronic instruments."
As well as being the musical director of Vocal Dimension, Matthew is also a part of Wodonga Brass and Jazzaratta.
"I went to the state championships last year with Wodonga Brass, and we won the D Grade section for the whole state; we were really pleased with that," he said.
Before coming to Wangaratta, Mr Schultz worked in the musical field for many years spending a number of those directing the social outreach choir, the South Port Singers in South Melbourne.
"It welcomed people from diverse social backgrounds to learn basic musical skills, and enjoy community singing at no cost," he said.
He said working with Vocal Dimension has been quite different, as Vocal Dimension work towards a more specific goal of presenting a formal concert with the audience's experience in mind.
There are currently 20 members in the Vocal Dimension group and they are always looking for more singers to join their ranks.
Rehearsals are held on Wednesday nights from 7.30–9.30pm at the CWA Hall in Templeton Street Wangaratta.
The 'Life, love, death and taxes' concerts will be held at Benalla Uniting Church on Saturday, May 27 at 3pm, and at Holy Trinity Cathedral Wangaratta on Sunday, May 28 at 3pm.
If you would like more information about the upcoming concert series or to join Vocal Dimension, visit their Facebook page or contact secretary David Newport by email at vocal.dimension.choir@gmail.com.
