ABOUT ILLUMINA

Glenda Lynelle

Glenda Lynelle spent the majority of her working life as a music educator, choral director and Head of the Music at St Andrew’s School, Walkerville. She is a keen advocate of Kodaly Methodology and enjoys incorporating it in her choral lessons.

Glenni’s passion for vocal studies and choral work spans some 37 years. Her involvement as a choral tutor with the award-winning Young Adelaide Voices (also formerly known as Adelaide Girls’ Choir) continues to this day, and she recognises these years as significant in her choral education.

Glenni also enjoyed her association with Woodville Concert Choir as their MD from 2014-2021.

She is delighted to be working with ILLUMINA VOICES.

Helen ANGOVE

Helen has been a valuable asset to ILLUMINA VOICES since its inception when she was both the reserve accompanist and a chorister.  With the departure of Betty Tothill OAM in January 2011, Helen accepted the role of accompanist for ILLUMINA VOICES and the choir continues to benefit from her reliable and conscientious support.

Helen is an experienced accompanist who began playing piano and organ for church services as a teenager.  She then went on to accompany the Churches of Christ Youth Choir which specialised in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas.

For many years Helen was the repetiteur for a number of groups including the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, the Savoyards, the Marie Clark Theatre Company, Achord, the Matinee Entertainers and the Myall Ensemble.  From 1996 – 2007 she was an accompanist for school choirs taking part in the South Australian Primary Schools Festival of Music.

Helen accompanied three of the training choirs within the Adelaide Girls Choir (now Young Adelaide Voices).  She was accompanist for the Maughan Uniting Church Choir and the Good News Singers (who performed on radio) and currently she accompanies the vocal quartet Cantorae.

Helen introduced and continues to lead the Choir Chimes group at Brougham Place Uniting Church, and also accompanies the church choir.

Betty Tothill OAM

Betty was made a Life Member of ILLUMINA VOICES in December 2010 in recognition of her significant contribution as accompanist and founding member of the choir.

Betty has had a long association with choirs as an accompanist.  She commenced her music career teaching piano and theory of music, and for many years accompanied local primary school choirs for the Public Primary Schools Festival of Music and the Department of Education in South Australia.

Betty has been accompanist for the Metropolitan Male Choir of South Australia for 15 years and for the Woodville Concert Choir for 24 years.

In 1981 the South Australian Country Women’s Association established a State Choir for which Betty was the inaugural pianist and co-organizer. She has retained the position of accompanist since the inception of this women’s choir.

Betty directs a local SACWA branch choir and assists with another community ladies choir. She is also the pianist at Brougham Place Uniting Church, Nth Adelaide.

Betty received the award OAM in 2005 for her outstanding work with community choirs as well as her dedicated commitment to the operations of the South Australian Country Womens’ Association including the role of State President from 2002 – 2005.  She is also the recipient of a Centenary Medal (2003) and the City of Prospect Citizen of the Year (1998).

We are indeed honoured to have Betty as our first life member and look forward to her continued support and friendship. 

Rosemary Nairn OAM

After six years as Music Director of ILLUMINA VOICES Rosemary was farewelled at a special concert in June 2014 to celebrate her significant achievement with the choir she established in 2008.  She was made a Life Member of ILLUMINA VOICES in recognition of her choral leadership, enthusiasm and commitment to the choir and its members.

Rosemary NairnRosemary has been associated with choirs of all age groups for over 50 years and still looks forward to new challenges associated with music and people.

Rosemary had a long association with the SA Primary Schools Festival of Music and was their Director of Music for 9 years.  She continues to support several schools as choir accompanist.

Over the years Rosemary has conducted many massed choir concerts including the Eyre Celebrates and Eyre Remembers marathon concerts, as well as performances for the SA Country Choral Association, the Royal School of Church Music and the Uniting Church.  At Christmas time Rosemary conducts a massed SATB choir for community events in the McLaren Vale region.

For 25 years Rosemary was Music Director for the Woodville Concert Choir.  She also tutored with Young Adelaide Voices and the Australian Girls' Choir and was conductor of the Lobethal Harmony Club male choir for two years.

Rosemary regularly adjudicates at the Balaklava Eisteddfods and she assisted in the publication of an Educational Resource Music Book for Aboriginal Studies - The Songs of Buck McKenzie.

In 2002 the SA Country Choral Association asked Rosemary to write a Musical Tribute to celebrate the bicentennial  of the historic meeting between Matthew Flinders and Nicholas Baudin at Encounter Bay.  Two Captains was presented in Victor Harbor, Adelaide and Port Lincoln.  Rosemary wrote another Musical Tribute in 2006 called Tracks through the Mallee for the Centenary Celebrations of the Lameroo and Mallee Districts of South Australia.

In 2003 Rosemary received an OAM for her lifetime quest of teaching choral work and music education throughout the community of South Australia.

Rosemary is currently the organist and choir director at Brougham Place Uniting Church and she also conducts the Tatachilla Ladies Choir, or as they are fondly know, The Sisters of Abundance. Rosemary was appointed Music Director of the Adelaide Harmony Choir in 2013.

Under Rosemary's direction the choral experience for ILLUMINA VOICES members has been enhanced by an emphasis on sharing, community and belonging.  We are indebted to Rosemary and wish her the very best as she continues her involvement with music and choral education in South Australia.

Deborah Munro

With tertiary qualifications in Music, Education and Educational Counselling, Deborah brought a wealth of knowledge and choral experience to Illumina, both as a chorister then Music Director.

For 25 years, she was Artistic Director of the award-winning Young Adelaide Voices, a choir school of 250 choristers, which gained international acclaim through six overseas tours to four continents and many recitals in historic venues such as Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and St Martin-in-he-Fields.  Twice winning 1st Prize summa cum laude at the European Youth Choral Festival, they were also awarded the Key to the City of Adelaide. Under Deborah’s direction, the choir performed over fifty times as guest artists of the SA Police Band and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, with whom they also recorded a C.D.

In addition to her choral directing, Deborah has been a music specialist teacher at a wide variety of schools, most notably the Marryatville High School Special Interest Music Centre. She was also Music Director of the S.A. Public Schools Music Society, a position which involved the overall direction of 200 choirs around South Australia, and the in-servicing of their choir trainers, culminating in the Festival of Music - a 10 concert festival with 500-voice massed choirs and 50-piece orchestras.

In addition to her artistic directing, Deborah has been guest clinician at many national and international choral conferences and festivals. She was also a member of the international jury for the European Youth Choral Festival.

Now happily retired, Deborah really enjoyed her involvement with the vibrant Illumina women's choir.