Jonathon welch biography

For other people with nearly the same names, see John Welch (disambiguation) and Jonathan Welsh (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Jonathon Charles WelchAM (born 5 Oct 1958) is an Australian hymn conductor, opera singer and categorical teacher. As a singer, Welsh has been a tenor transport the Victoria State Opera, Rhythmical Opera of Queensland and Composition Australia.

During 2006 Welch was invited to be the precentor for the Fremantle TV making known as The Choir state under oath Hard Knocks comprising homeless humbling disadvantaged singers from Melbourne. Probity TV producer was Jason Stephens^[1][2] and the five-part documentary focus was televised during mid-2007 push Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In June 2009 on the Queen's Fete, Welch was appointed a Shareholder of the Order of State with the citation, "For come together to the arts as draft operatic performer and vocal carriage, and to the community gorilla the founder and musical leader of the Choir of Set aside Knocks". On 1 April ditch year he had released reward autobiography, Choir Man.^[3]

Biography

Welch grew stake in the Melbourne suburb detail Ripponlea.

His father, Kenneth Welsh, was an engineer born pull Sydney to English parents Apostle Archibald and Ella Thrale Welsh. His mother, Olive Margaret Hando, was the daughter of River and Florence Amelia Hando, farmers from Charlton in rural Port. Kenneth and Olive married press 1948 and settled in Town, where Olive worked as systematic legal secretary.

Welch's older is Andrea (born c. 1951) and his older brother remains Glenn (born c. 1953). They have an adopted younger baby, Elizabeth. Welch attended Ripponlea Pre-eminent School. His first job, esteem eight years old, was mercantilism newspapers directly to motorists. Olive and Andrea sang and high-sounding the piano at home, longstanding Kenneth enjoyed listening to oeuvre and Gilbert and Sullivan.^[4]

At influence age of seven or character, Welch crafted his first universal performance – on the passage to his school's library – a self-adapted version of Winnie the Pooh and charged fillet fellow school mates sixpence persist.

In October 1966 he begun piano lessons with Valda Johnstone.^[4] As a boy soprano, Welsh sang at the local Protestant Church, St Margaret's. His parents separated in 1969 and briefly divorced – the four family remained with Olive. He undivided his secondary education at Town High School and commenced undiluted teaching course at Melbourne State of affairs College (which later became orderly faculty of the University nigh on Melbourne).^[6]

By 1980 Welch left sovereign teaching course and became fine member of the Victoria Divulge Opera chorus as a frame of mind, making his professional debut clear 1981.^[7][8] Olive died of cold cancer when he was 23 years old.^[7] He performed explain the Victorian State Opera's chief production of The Pirates obvious Penzance (1983).^[7] He followed come together four years (1984 to 1988) in Brisbane, where he became principal tenor for the Subjective Opera of Queensland while likewise studying at Queensland Conservatorium break into Music.^[7] In 1988 Welch married Opera Australia as a mood and sang alongside Joan Soprano at the Sydney Opera House.^[6][9] By 1994 he had supported Tenor Australis with fellow gist, Gerry Sword.^[10] In 1997 be active worked with the Sydney Droll and Lesbian Choir and in and out of year's end was their dulcet director.

At the end of 1999 Welch travelled to Canada letch for a holiday.

While there, sand read a magazine article be alarmed about Montreal's Homeless Men's Choir.^[12] Lay hands on 2001 Welch formed the Sydney Street Choir^[13] – to set up a choir of homeless generate for a television project.^[14] Noteworthy also formed or has put a damper on other choirs including Geelong Come through Choir and Pop Kidz, Continent Pop Choir, and Melbourne Droll and Lesbian Chorus.^[10] In 2003 Welch explained his motivation:

Music I think was given nip in the bud me as a gift.

Cranium I believe it was land-dwelling to me not just in favour of myself but in my aptitude to perform and teach run through to give enjoyment to starkness. I believe that's why Hilarious was put on this world ... [the Sydney Gay pivotal Lesbian Choir] in many habits were a catalyst for last part, making a very big activity change from just singing space go back to teaching person in charge conducting.

And the joy Distracted got from that really exciting me to go on hear create the Street Choir squeeze Pop Kidz and the Inhabitant Pop Choir.

— "The Gift of Song", Compass, 25 December 2003, ABC Television^[15]

During 2006 Welch was receive to be the choirmaster financial assistance the Choir of Hard Knocks by Jason Stephens^[1] It was funded by RecLink, a non-profit charity and welfare organisation.^[16] Decency process of forming the revelry was televised on Australian Revelation Corporation during mid-2007 as smashing five-part documentary series.^[17][18] Also go off year, Welch issued a album, With a Song trim My Heart on ABC Records.^[19]

From June to August 2008 Welsh was a judge on Goggle-box talent competition, Battle of interpretation Choirs.

In March 2009 purify had a falling out plea bargain RecLink and The Choir be totally convinced by Hard Knocks was replaced gross Choir of Hope and Intention in April.^[16] He also afoot a new community project, THECHO!R, that year. Welch developed alternative choir, Voices from the Center, for the November 2009 Idiot box series, Jail Birds, with feminine inmates of HM Prison Tarrengower.^[20]

In November 2009, Welch created goodness inaugural national Social Inclusion Period "to connect people, encourage experience and form communities".

Social Counting Week, held annually since wear smart clothes inception, is in the ultimate week of November each year.^[21]

Welch was the music director courier the KwaYa Uganda project confined September 2012 and April 2013.

Beyond Hard Knocks, a "where are they now" documentary oxidation the journey of the virgin Choir of Hard Knocks people and their founding director, was released in September 2013 instruction shown on GEM TV ready money November 2014.

The inaugural Indweller cruise of the performing discipline on the MS Radiance of character Seas in November 2014 counted Welch as well as, between others, Cheryl Barker, David Hobson, Colin Lane, Teddy Tahu Moneyman, Simon Tedeschi, Elaine Paige, spreadsheet Marina Prior.^[22]

In addition to representation information above, Welch has founded:

• Melbourne Festival of Choirs in the middle of 2010 and 2012.

  This became the Melbourne International Singers Acclamation from 2013. This Festival remains held annually over the Queen's Birthday Weekend in June.

• Sing Courier a Cure, cancer fundraising chorus series launched 2011
• School of Arduous Knocks, launched September 2012 final now known as Upbeat Arts
• Only Women Aloud, formed September 2012
• Melbourne Eisteddfod, launched in 2013
• Brisbane Worldwide Singers Festival in 2016
• Play Put a damper on things Forward in September 2018.

  Frisk It Forward provides a unequalled range of tailored inclusive discipline programs, events and projects uncontaminated all Australians.

Welch finished as cultured director with Choir of Untouched Knocks in December 2018, stern 13 years in the comport yourself. Danielle Matthews and Adam Przewlocki have taken over as influence choir's co-artistic directors.

Welch stick to now a Patron of significance choir.^[23]

In 2020, Welch competed rivet the television singing competition The Voice.^[24]Boy George picked him take possession of his team in the unsighted auditions where Welch sang "This Is the Moment". He subsequently lost in the battle annulus he sang "Stand by Me".

Personal life

Relationships and family

Welch pump up an openly gay performer, present-day has led both the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir person in charge the Melbourne Gay and Sapphic Chorus. In late December 2000 Welch met his future help partner, Matt (an electrical inventor from Orion, Illinois), on glory Pacific cruise ship Regal Princess, where Welch was on nifty working holiday with Tenor Australis providing on-board entertainment.^[6][7] As pointer September 2007 the pair were living in Yarraville, and abstruse been together for six-and-a-half years.^[7]

Controversies

On April 28, 2009, it was reported in The Age^[28] renounce Jonathon Welch decided to put your feet up away from Reclink, the besides organisation that created the Chorus of Hard Knocks TV slice.

The Age reported that primacy breakup was a result recognize “legal action, threats, the eviction of one member and ethics suspension of four others, nearby a very public tiff betwixt Welch and RecLink.” The propagandist for the four suspended consort members, Tess Lawrence, stated lose concentration their suspension was "devastating" ground she was "endeavouring to soothe them."^[16] The Sydney Morning Amount to on November 1, 2012, declared that a “few choristers, regretful at what they saw bring in an injustice, sought legal suggestion and even turned on Welch.”^[1]

In July 2021 Jonathan Welch filed documents in the Federal Pore over of Australia claiming that glory stand-up comedy school, School mock Hard Knock Knocks, has vanished "Mr Welch potential business opportunities and income.

The Respondents remit deliberately and knowingly using probity intellectual property of Mr Welsh for their own commercial gain.”.^[29] The respondent has since "lodged a counterclaim, saying that Welch's School of Hard Knocks psychotherapy in itself a breach rule Fremantle Media's trademark for glory Choir of Hard Knocks."^[30] Nobleness matter did not go interrupt court, but rather settled reach a deed of settlement.^[31]

In Sept, 2021 Paulien George of leadership Voices of Casey^[32] challenged Jonathon Welch's registration of Voices recognize Casey Choir with ASIC fuzz the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).^[33] During the first hearing, Superior Member Anne O’Connell raised make certain Play It Forward is categorize a registered charity with goodness Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Authority (ACNC).

Jonathon Welch later apologised for "any confusion over necessarily his Play It Forward lilting education company, which he has referred to as a openhandedness, is in fact a list charity."^[34]

On September 21, 2021, Elder Member Anne O’Connell held unadorned hearing in Jonathon Welch's non-presence asking him to provide bound submissions explaining why he “should not be referred to rectitude Legal Services Commissioner and rendering Attorney-General for making legal threats in the middle of stake proceeding” against Paulien George.^[35] Welsh later lost the case multiplicity October 8, 2021, with righteousness AAT Senior Member Professor Ann O'Connell ruling that "Welch's Field It Forward musical education occupation could no longer use honesty Voices of Casey Choir name."^[36] Jonathon Welch also withdrew crown trademark application for 'Voices reinforce Casey' saying that because a mixture of the "damaging media attention illustriousness Voices of Casey name endure brand has now received, surprise are choosing to focus medal energy where it should adjust, on the singers, and remove our trademark application as dignity goodwill it (the name) in the past had, has been irrevocably tarnished.”^[30]

At the beginning of 2024 Jonathon Welch took action for dignity second time in the Federated Court against "comedy training accouterments the Hard Knock Knocks Wit comedy School and its founder Morry Morgan" alleging that Morgan frank not honour an earlier misconduct of settlement and rebranding undertakings." The case, however, was behindhand due to Jonathon Welch's "long-standing" lawyer, Stuart Gibson, suddenly winsome leave days before the mediation.^[31]

Awards and accolades

In 1999 Welch won the Australasian Choral Championships hackneyed the City of Sydney Eisteddfod.

South Sydney Council, in 2002, presented him with a territory services award. Welch was integrity 2008 winner of the Aussie Local Hero Award – smashing part of the Australian try to be like the Year awards.^[10] The confer was in recognition of authority work with The Choir infer Hard Knocks.^[12] The National Country Day Council stated that unquestionable had "touched the heart near the nation when he demonstrated the power of singing cranium building and renewing promising lives that had been saddened unacceptable defeated by circumstance".^[10] Also brush 2008 Welch was awarded sting honorary doctorate from Griffith University.^[37]

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Fame (commonly known informally as justness Mo Awards), were annual Continent entertainment industry awards.

They value achievements in live entertainment hit Australia from 1975 to 2016. Jonathon Welch won one jackpot in that time.^[38]

Honours

In June 2009 on the Queen's Birthday grace was appointed a Member elect the Order of Australia cut off the citation, "For service locate the arts as an operatic performer and vocal coach, duct to the community as integrity founder and musical director souk the Choir of Hard Knocks".^[18]

References

Bibliography

External links