Melbourne based a cappella Choir Harambee has sung everything from Ecuadorian folk music and Negro spirituals to P Diddy and the Cranberries. The group has grown and evolved over the past 10 years which has seen it change from world music to pop and expand from Three girls, a guy and a pit…
read moreMelbourne based a cappella Choir Harambee has sung everything from Ecuadorian folk music and Negro spirituals to P Diddy and the Cranberries. The group has grown and evolved over the past 10 years which has seen it change from world music to pop and expand from Three girls, a guy and a pitch pipe into an elite, 24 voice, auditioned choir. Founded in 2002 by Sarah Patterson and a group of friends, they eventually settled on the name Harambee (pronounced Ha–RUM-bay) which means “in the spirit of togetherness” in Swahili. Sarah was musical director of Harambee for many years before passing the role onto her sister Jane Patterson.
The members of Harambee have shared many unique experiences and successes: advancing to the State Finals of the ABC Classic FM Choir of the Year competition which was broadcast nationally (2006); performing on national television, reaching the grand final of Channel 7′s Battle of the Choirs (2008); touring the east coast as part of their Friendship Tour including a live performance on Channel 7’s Sunrise (2009); and performing as a featured choir at the Festival of Voices in Hobart (2010).
Harambee has also performed regularly around Melbourne at community and charity events, festivals, corporate functions and to full houses at their own bi-annual concerts. Their most recent album In Your Head was recorded using the latest contemporary a cappella techniques and released in 2010. In Your Head was mixed in the US by Ed Boyer who has worked with Ben Folds, Sarah Bareilles, Boys II Men and many of the world’s best known contemporary a cappella groups.
Harambee will be celebrating its 10th year with an Anniversary Concert at the Thornbury Theatre on Saturday August 4th. This will be a very special evening that will see Harambee welcoming back past members and reflecting upon its achievements, singing repertoire from past years and tracing its journey from a small world music choir to one of Melbourne’s most exciting contemporary a cappella groups.
“You have the most beautiful listening in your ensemble” Jonathan Welch
“They always bring a smile to my face whenever I watch them” –David ‘Kochie’ Koch
VIC, 3071, Australia.
