His name was Kelly and he formed a gang. However, his name was not Ned, nor did his lads terrorise the roads around Glenrowan. Rather, Vincent Kelly, a dedicated school music teacher founded the Australian Boys Choir in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II. It is heartening to know that Kelly’s vision has endured these past 80 years and that the organisation he founded now flourishes, currently engaging with about 200 young singers across a range of ensembles. (One of these ensembles, for boys whose voices are changing, is wryly called The Kelly Gang.)

The Australian Boys Choir. Photo © Jane Kupsch

There were ample demonstrations of the choir’s good musical health at its latest concert which focussed on Australian compositions, evoking both Indigenous and non-Indigenous soundscapes. West Australian composer, Iain Grandage’s Hush: On the Death of a Bush Church was an excellent curtain-raiser in which quiet susurrations and clapsticks helped evoke a desolate scene. The Vocal Consort, a group of fourteen young men who provide the lower voice parts for the choir were particularly impressive with their crystal-clear diction and excellent intonation; consistent qualities that put...