Southern Gospel Choir
The Southern Gospel Choir is a gospel choir based at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music in Hobart, Tasmania, and is directed by Dr. Andrew Legg. The choir and its band, the Very Righteous Gospel Band were formed by Dr. Legg in 2000, soon after he became a staff member at the Conservatorium. The Southern Gospel Choir and Legg have received acclaim internationally with leading gospel artists in the USA. Legg has worked with many prominent US gospel artists including Myron Butler, Kirk Franklin, Horace Clarence Boyer, Marvin Weatherford and Xanielle Davis. The choir were nominated for an  ARIA award in 2005. Choir structure. The choir consists of three main groups: Members of the choir range in age from 14 to 60 and come from many varied backgrounds and parts of the Tasmanian community. Many Hobart musicians, especially singers, are or have previously been members of the Southern Gospel Choir, and some have been featured as soloists, including vocal coach Maria Lurighi. Soloists are usually picked from the choir by Lurighi or Dr. Legg to suit a particular song. Styles. Whilst performing under the general genre of gospel music, the Southern Gospel Choir integrates songs of many styles  into its repertoire. These include traditional spirituals such as Steal Away, as well as many contemporary pieces which take their inspiration from styles such as jazz, funk, pop, rock, and hip hop. This is intended to make the music performed by the choir accessible and enjoyable to a wide range of audiences. The Southern Gospel Choir performs varied styles of gigs, from performances with their band to "unplugged" concerts with just piano and choir, to collaborations with other musicians such as The Idea of North and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. A usual concert consists of many songs from various styles  of gospel music, some with the band and some without, and many of the pieces feature soloists and improvisation. Association with the Conservatorium & University. The Southern Gospel Choir is run as several units at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, which is part of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Tasmania. Members of the general public who are not enrolled in a university degree can audition for and join the choir, and are then enrolled in the choir unit as a part of an associate degree in Music Studies. This can then count towards this degree (or a number  of other degrees) if they choose to later enrol in a course at the University of Tasmania. Many students at the Conservatorium who are enrolled in courses, classical or contemporary, such as the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Studies, Associate degrees, Rock Revolutions or Musical Theatre courses use the gospel choir units to count towards their degrees. Weekly rehearsals for the choir are held at the Conservatorium, and ticket sales for the choir's performances are handled by the Conservatorium's booking office. Awards and nominations. ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that  recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.