Pot-Pourri
Melbourne vocal ensemble Pot-Pourri blends opera, music theatre, cabaret, comedy and a touch of didgeridoo into accessible live shows and recordings. Formed in 1987, the group has toured widely in Australia and overseas.
Named Australian Event Entertainers of the Year, Pot-Pourri presents a unique blend of music theatre, cabaret, opera, magic, didgeridoo and comedy. With some forty overseas tours and seven CDs, the group is known for drawing a standing ovation at every performance.
Twenty-five years ago Tania de Jong and Jonathan Morton founded Pot-Pourri as “The Hums of Pooh”. The ensemble has since grown from strength to strength. It was selected to represent Australia internationally for the Sydney Olympic Games and invited to perform at World Expo 2000 in Hannover. Guest appearances include the Seoul Symphony Orchestra in Korea, a sell-out season at The Famous Spiegeltent at the Melbourne Festival, the International Music Theatre Festival in Korea (the only Australian act invited) and the Macau Concert Hall (the first Australian act invited).
Tours have taken the group to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Italy, New Zealand, San Francisco and Singapore.
“I guess what has kept us going has been the love, friendship and respect between us,” says founder Tania de Jong. “The magic of singing harmonies and expressing our creativity with some other wonderful artists, the opportunity to be master and mistress of our own destiny and the connection, feeling and joy from our audiences; allowing them to transcend reality and experience the emotion and passion of the music and the stories.”
The line-up has included two couples—Tania de Jong and Jonathan Morton, and Rebecca and Jon Bode—with pianist Rebecca Chambers. Together they continue to delight audiences with electric performances and fresh readings of classics in contemporary and traditional song.
Artist's website: pot-pourri.com.au
Pot-Pourri is featured on the following titles
Silver: Celebrating 25 Years
Pot-Pourri marks twenty-five years with Silver, a seventh album that mixes contemporary classics, Broadway, and opera into one sparkling programme.
Something Familiar! Something Peculiar!
Pot-Pourri’s second Move album ranges freely across Broadway, opera, musical theatre and popular song, pairing cherished favourites with sharper comic turns in chamber-scale arrangements.
Rhythm of Life
A delicious blend of highlights from Broadway shows, popular music theatre, traditional songs and operatic hits, sung with style by Melbourne vocal ensemble Pot-Pourri.
Members of Pot-Pourri
Rebecca Chambers
Rebecca Chambers has established herself as a prominent young Australian pianist playing as a soloist with Australia's major symphony orchestras and has performed on four continents. In recognition of her achievement in music she was named as the 1996 Young Australian of the Year.
Jonathan Morton
Jonathan Morton has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, is an IT whiz and plays the didgeridoo. He performed with the VSO from 1988 and is a founding member of Pot-Pourri.
Tania de Jong
Tania de Jong AM is the inspiration, co-founder and artistic director of Pot-Pourri and of Music Theatre Australia. Tania is considered one of Australia's most talented sopranos having performed with the Victoria State Opera and as a soloist with a number of orchestras.
Rebecca Bode
Rebecca studied at the Victorian College of the Arts and Queensland Conservatorium of Music before her debut with The Victorian State Opera and later as a full-time soloist with Opera Australia. She travelled overseas and performed and toured internationally including with the London City Opera and European Chamber Opera.
Jon Bode
Jon has performed as an actor and singer in theatre, musical theatre and opera in Australia and around the world. He studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts before working with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Playbox, State Theatre Company of South Australia and in various touring musicals.