“Thoroughly enjoyed the three days. I came away feeling enriched and inspired, with the choice of music being challenging and satisfying. Can't recommend TONUS AUSTRALIS highly enough.” (Jess Ciampa, participant in the ¡TONE UP! at Excelsia College, Sydney in January 2024)
“A truly unforgettable experience, both as to learning and enjoyment. Antony’s knowledge and experience stood out clearly, as did his patience. I would be happy to recommend the workshop and thoroughly enjoyed the company and the enthusiasm of everyone who took part.” (Bob Jordan, participant in the inaugural ¡TONE UP! in January 2023)
“I thought, well, this is something I really want to be involved in – because with Antony... you really learn a lot!” (Peter Woolf, 2022 Australian Jewish Choral Festival Singer)
“We were honoured to have Antony Pitts as our headline conductor at the 5th Australian Jewish Choral Festival in June 2022. Engaging and highly skilled, his deep musical knowledge in diverse genres drew forth dimensions of performance the participants thought to be beyond their reach. He achieved miraculous results for the closing concert, in just two days of intensive work with choral groups across the spectrum of skill levels. It was a privilege to work with him.”
(Judy Campbell, Festival Artistic Director)
“Antony Pitts is a remarkedly gifted artist, well known for his work as Artistic Director of The Song Company, as an award-winning Senior Producer with BBC, Senior Lecturer with the Royal Academy of Music in London and as the Founder and Director of TONUS PEREGRINUS. A composer, conductor and producer, he also possesses a unique ability to unearth and nurture artistic development of emerging musicians and artists with exquisite mastery. It is in this capacity I have personally been humbled to not only watch him work but to have personally benefitted from his warmth, encouragement, compassion, grace and singular vision. I was fortunate to find my way into The Song Company’s SongCo LAB in 2021, not because it was to launch for me a career as an aspiring vocalist, but because it opened up my eyes to worlds of beauty, redemption, joy and an invitation to explore dreams long discarded as futile. Antony’s ability to harness art forms such as sacred song that, to an Australian contemporary music lover may seem archaic, and breathe new life into them via his compositional, production and conducting gifts is exceptional to behold, but equally matched by the gifts he possesses in breathing new life into the souls of hesitant and shattered artists, creating inspiring worlds in which potential can be truly revealed.” (Fi Peel, Lived Experience Mental Health Recovery Collaborator)
“I felt a connection to the historical context of the music that I have never felt before. It's impossible to sing from part books without inheriting something of how the pieces were originally performed, something that is lost in the modern notation. While they are fiendishly difficult/different, Antony's deep knowledge of the partbooks and notation was an incredibly valuable guide.” (semi-professional ensemble singer, SongCo LAB)
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of 'Singing from the Source'. Exploring the genius of the music found in the Eton Choirbook seemed a daunting experience, having not had any formal musical training. Antony facilitated the group exceedingly well, and I was completely comfortable. Comprehending the intricate notation was not easy, but reinforcement was easy with open discussion to achieve understanding. Each session I was immersed in the challenging and rewarding opportunity to be able to sing from this treasury with like-minded and experienced musicians. I hope to participate in similar workshops in the future.” (emerging artist, SongCo LAB)
“The workshops in conjunction with the Academy of St James have been brilliant. Being able to work with experienced early musicians under Antony’s tutelage has really opened up my ability to read and sing from the source.” (professional soloist, SongCo LAB)