According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of 'serendipity' is 'the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.'
The word 'serendipity' originated from Serendip, a Persian name for Sri Lanka. It was coined by the English politican and writer Horace Walpole (1717-1797) after 'The Three Princes of Serendip', a Persian fairy tale in which the heroes were 'always making fortunate discoveries by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of'.
Serendipity: the choir is a Southern Highlands community choir, founded in February 2008. We are based in the beautiful village of Bundanoon, from where two-thirds of our singers come. Others travel from various locations - Exeter, Moss Vale, Werrai, Robertson, Burradoo, Mittagong, Goulburn, Tallong and Bowral - to be part of this dynamic ensemble.
Serendipity: the choir has enjoyment as its prime reason for existence, Enjoyment by the singers of the repertoire selected for each 'themed' concert, and listening enjoyment for our audiences. To achieve this seemingly simple goal requires much hard work and dedication by the choristers as we aim for choral excellence. The overwhelming response to our music-making since we began has vindicated the decision to form a choir which aims to provide choral pleasure for the wider community. We now have Serendipity 'groupies' who travel regularly from Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne to attend our concerts.
The choir of some thirty voices is not auditioned in the traditional sense. New singers are offered the chance to join as 'potential' choristers, and their position in the choir is determined after several weeks of actual participation in rehearsals.
The greatest strength of Serendipity: the choir lies in its singers, the choristers themselves, and their dedication, enthusiasm and involvement in the life of the choir. We are now a closely knit group in which each singer receives support and encouragement from others, and all feel a strong sense of ownership of the choir.
Members of the general community also support us in website development, administration, library organisation, photography and ticket sales. Our status as a sub-committee of the Bundanoon Community Association (www.bundanoon.nsw.au) provides insurance cover as well as an excellent rehearsal and performance venue.
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If you would like Serendipity: the choir to perform at your next event, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
Choirs and singing groups in the Southern Highlands
Upcoming Performances
| Sat Sep 04 @03:00PM - 'Shall We Dance' concert in Bowral |
| Sat Sep 11 @03:00PM - 'Shall We Dance' concert in Bundanoon |
'Shall We Dance?' Concert Countdown
Chorister of the Month
Since coming to Bundanoon in 2001, Hugh Vanderfield has found four other alumnae of his old school, North Sydney Technical High, where his love of choral singing began. He well remembers the thrill of being part of the choir of 350 voices in the
In his position of Australia Post franchisee in our town, with his mild, friendly manner so that no request seems a trouble to him, Hugh is probably more recognisable than many other of our choristers. Prior to his decade with AP he has co-owned and operated businesses in fields as varied as timber manufacturing, retail stationery and liquor stores.
Hugh is a football fan, both league and union, and his interests are as varied as his business experience: reading, music, metaphysics/spirituality, cinema, particularly Australian films, the Australian stock market and exploring – ‘we shall not cease from exploration’. He works on his own, 60 or 70 hours a week, so one can only wonder how he fits in everything else.
A proud father of his ‘wonderful children’, Hugh enjoys driving to visit his son and three daughters to celebrate family occasions with them. No doubt his psychology degree from UTS and his financial management studies at
Hugh really values singing in our community-based choir where friendships are forged and there is a real esprit de corps.
