Menagerie has just begun their twenty-first season, celebrating 10 years of Menagerie!
Season 20 was Menagerie's xox - a super special show performed in and around the Heath Ledger Theatre. The show began with love-themed fun and games in the Heath Ledger Foyer before an eclectic and emotive set inside the beautiful theatre itself - a once in a lifetime experience for most Menagerists!
The songs were:
Electric Love by BØRNS, arr. Sal Banyard
Turn Me On by The Grates, arr. Sal Banyard
Bloom by The Paper Kites, arr. Ellie Podmore
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae, arr. Tiffany Ha
Come On Mess Me Up by Cub Sport, arr. Tahnee Jean and Sal Banyard
All I Want Is You by Ballpark Music, arr. Stephen C. Beaver
The Limit To Your Love by Feist, arr. Casey Jenkins
Hurts by Emeli Sandé, arr. Andrew Russell
Somebody/Not Angry by Gotye feat. Kimbra and Thelma Plum, arr. Sal Banyard - a carefully crafted mashup of Somebody That I Used To Know and Not Angry Anymore
Blue Skies by Noah and the Whale, arr. Alexander Hill
Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, arr. Elizabeth Tan
Season 19 culminated in a fun evening at the Perth Mess Hall with special guests Helen Shanahan, and The Mackerels, and the following Menagerie set (not in order):
Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, arr. Casey Jenkins
Work by Bluejuice, arr. Alexander Hill
This Old Love by Lior, arr. Sal Banyard
Step by Vampire Weekend, arr. Ellie Podmore
Cosmogony (reprise) by Björk, arr. Sal Banyard
Heart It Races (reprise) by Architecture in Helsinki, arr. Claire Coleman
Season 18 had us dancing the hot Fringe nights away with our CHOIR DANCE PARTY '1! 2! 3! 4! Riot on the Dance Floor!' - hosted by the wonderful The Rechabite. The lively collection was:
That's Not My Name by Ting Tings, arr. Casey Jenkins, Elizabeth Tan and Sal Banyard
Tightrope by Janelle Monae, arr. Alexander Hill
Deceptacon by Le Tigre, arr. Elizabeth Tan
Girls Girls Boys by Panic at the Disco, arr. Sal Banyard
Free by Broods, arr. Ellie Podmore
Walls Come Tumbling Down by The Style Council, arr. Casey Jenkins
Dance Dance Constellation - a dance medley featuring Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Justice, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Rapture, Junior Senior, Will Smith, Deee-lite and Electric Six, arranged by Andrew Russell (Murder on the Dance Floor), Casey Jenkins (Gotta Get Myself Into It), Ellie Podmore (MoveYour Feet), Chris Coman (Gay Bar), Tahnee Thompson (intro assistance) and Sal Banyard (editing, stitching and everything else).
I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters, arr. Stephen C. Beaver
! (The Song Formerly Known As) by Regurgitator, arr. Elizabeth Tan
Season 17 was our 'Winter Sing Thing' show.
Held over two awesome nights filled with indie tunes, sing-a-longs and stunning sets by our support acts, Cecilia Brandolini and Ken Paolo and the Space Cadets.
Featuring 7 songs, with new arrangements as well as a couple of reprised favourites which will be following us over into our summer Fringe run for season 18!
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Sonny Bono, arr. Kate Page
"Buy Nothing day" by The Go! Team arr. Elizabeth tan for season 12
"Walls Come Tumbling Down" by The Style Council/Paul Weller arr.
"Should Have Known Better" by Sufjan Stevens arr. Alexander Hill
"Moon and Moon" by Bat for Lashes arr.Sal Banyard
"That's Not My Name" by Ting tings arr. Elizabeth Tan, Sal Banyard, Casey Jenkins
"Dr Worm" by They Might Be Giants arr.Owen Hopwood for Menagerie 2013 with edits by Sal Banyard 2021
Season 20 was Menagerie's xox - a super special show performed in and around the Heath Ledger Theatre. The show began with love-themed fun and games in the Heath Ledger Foyer before an eclectic and emotive set inside the beautiful theatre itself - a once in a lifetime experience for most Menagerists!
The songs were:
Electric Love by BØRNS, arr. Sal Banyard
Turn Me On by The Grates, arr. Sal Banyard
Bloom by The Paper Kites, arr. Ellie Podmore
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae, arr. Tiffany Ha
Come On Mess Me Up by Cub Sport, arr. Tahnee Jean and Sal Banyard
All I Want Is You by Ballpark Music, arr. Stephen C. Beaver
The Limit To Your Love by Feist, arr. Casey Jenkins
Hurts by Emeli Sandé, arr. Andrew Russell
Somebody/Not Angry by Gotye feat. Kimbra and Thelma Plum, arr. Sal Banyard - a carefully crafted mashup of Somebody That I Used To Know and Not Angry Anymore
Blue Skies by Noah and the Whale, arr. Alexander Hill
Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, arr. Elizabeth Tan
Season 19 culminated in a fun evening at the Perth Mess Hall with special guests Helen Shanahan, and The Mackerels, and the following Menagerie set (not in order):
Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, arr. Casey Jenkins
Work by Bluejuice, arr. Alexander Hill
This Old Love by Lior, arr. Sal Banyard
Step by Vampire Weekend, arr. Ellie Podmore
Cosmogony (reprise) by Björk, arr. Sal Banyard
Heart It Races (reprise) by Architecture in Helsinki, arr. Claire Coleman
Season 18 had us dancing the hot Fringe nights away with our CHOIR DANCE PARTY '1! 2! 3! 4! Riot on the Dance Floor!' - hosted by the wonderful The Rechabite. The lively collection was:
That's Not My Name by Ting Tings, arr. Casey Jenkins, Elizabeth Tan and Sal Banyard
Tightrope by Janelle Monae, arr. Alexander Hill
Deceptacon by Le Tigre, arr. Elizabeth Tan
Girls Girls Boys by Panic at the Disco, arr. Sal Banyard
Free by Broods, arr. Ellie Podmore
Walls Come Tumbling Down by The Style Council, arr. Casey Jenkins
Dance Dance Constellation - a dance medley featuring Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Justice, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Rapture, Junior Senior, Will Smith, Deee-lite and Electric Six, arranged by Andrew Russell (Murder on the Dance Floor), Casey Jenkins (Gotta Get Myself Into It), Ellie Podmore (MoveYour Feet), Chris Coman (Gay Bar), Tahnee Thompson (intro assistance) and Sal Banyard (editing, stitching and everything else).
I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters, arr. Stephen C. Beaver
! (The Song Formerly Known As) by Regurgitator, arr. Elizabeth Tan
Season 17 was our 'Winter Sing Thing' show.
Held over two awesome nights filled with indie tunes, sing-a-longs and stunning sets by our support acts, Cecilia Brandolini and Ken Paolo and the Space Cadets.
Featuring 7 songs, with new arrangements as well as a couple of reprised favourites which will be following us over into our summer Fringe run for season 18!
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Sonny Bono, arr. Kate Page
"Buy Nothing day" by The Go! Team arr. Elizabeth tan for season 12
"Walls Come Tumbling Down" by The Style Council/Paul Weller arr.
"Should Have Known Better" by Sufjan Stevens arr. Alexander Hill
"Moon and Moon" by Bat for Lashes arr.Sal Banyard
"That's Not My Name" by Ting tings arr. Elizabeth Tan, Sal Banyard, Casey Jenkins
"Dr Worm" by They Might Be Giants arr.Owen Hopwood for Menagerie 2013 with edits by Sal Banyard 2021
Season 16 was our ambitious, immersive 'No Such Place' Fringe show designed for the architecture of the State Theatre Centre of WA. It featured 8 glorious new arrangements, plus a few reprises:
"Love in High Places" by Kimbra, arr. Sal Banyard
"Fallingwater" by Maggie Rogers, arr. Sal Banyard for Season 15
"Cliffs and Coves" by Bruce Peninsula, arr. Elizabeth Tan
"Love Might Be Found (Volcano)" by Montaigne, arr. Casey Jenkins
"There is No Such Place" by Augie March, arr. Charlie Podbury
"Black Lake" by Wallace, arr. Sal Banyard
"Green Grass" by Tom Waits, arr. Casey Jenkins for Season 12
"Rain in Soho" by Mountain Goats, arr. Alexander Hill
"House" by Patrick Wolf, arr. Sal Banyard
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants, arr. Stephen Beaver
"Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac, arr. Tiffany Ha for Season 2
Season 15 or the 'iso season' was small and quiet, but still featured some fun and beauteous new arrangements:
"Fallingwater" by Maggie Rogers, arr. Sal Banyard
"! (Song Formerly Known As)" by Regurgitator, arr. Elizabeth Tan
"Moon and Moon" by Bat For Lashes, arr. Sal Banyard
We also rehashed our Season 14 fave "Supermassive Black Hole" albeit without the choralography...
Season 14 had Menagerie blasting off into outer space with our Songs From A Distant Sun - featuring highly acclaimed Perth dancers Scott Elstermann and Bernadette Lewis. This unusual show blew audiences away (well, most of them...) and with 5 big audiences ended up being our most successful Fringe run yet.
The stellar set list was:
"Light Years" by The National, arr. Alex Hill
"Under the Milky Way" by The Church, arr. Sal Banyard
"Alien" by E^st, arr. Elizabeth Tan
"Supermassive Black Hole" by East, arr. Tiffany Ha
"Cosmogony" by Björk, arr. Sal Banyard
"Constellation" - a space medley featuring Beastie Boys, Jamiroquai, Savage Garden, Blur, The Flaming Lips, arr. Chris Coman, Sal Banyard, Alex Hill, compiled by Sal Banyard.
"UFOF" by Big Thief, arr. Casey Jenkins
"Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins, arr. Tiffany Ha
Season 13 had some sexy winter vibes and culminated in the Hot Winter Night show at The Rosemount, featuring Perth indie darlings The Bank Holidays. The steamy setlist was...
In collaboration with the Bankies:
"The Voice I Hear When I'm Alone" by The Bank Holidays, Menag arr. by Sal Banyard
"Like A Piano" by The Bank Holidays, Menag arr. by Sal Banyard
Menag-only numbers:
"Fall At Your Feet" - Boy and Bear covering Crowded House, arr. Owen Hopwood - a S5 repeat
"5 Dollars" by Christine and the Queens, arr. Sal Banyard
"Make Me Feel" by Janelle Monae, arr. Tiffany Ha
"Float On" by Modest Mouse, arr. Casey Jenkins and Caila Ihle
"Leaving Home" by Jebediah, arr. Al Pal Hill
Season 12 was Menagerie's sixth consecutive Fringe World season, culminating in a super 5-show run of 'Odes to the (In)significant'. This season saw eight different arrangers, a new musical direction for Menagerie with a 'band' of violins, 'cello and percussion, and two new guest conductors from the choir - Alex Hill and Tiffany Ha.
The tunez were:
"Underground" by Ben Folds Five, arr. Alex Hill
"Buy Nothing Day" by The Go! Team, arr. Elizabeth Tan
"Fear is Like a Forest" by Jen Cloher, arr. Caila Ihle
"Green Grass" by Tom Waits, arr. Casey Jenkins
"Us" by Regina Spektor, arr. Sal Banyard
"Grow Grow Grow" by PJ Harvey, arr. Tiffany Ha
"Standing in the Way of Control" by Gossip, arr. Chris Coman
"I Will Not Go Quietly" by The Whitlams, arr. Matt Chung
Season 11 had Perth’s premiere indie-pop choir return to Perth Town Hall with our traditional Winter Warmer show. The Best of Menagerie Choir revisited the choir's favourite songs from our earliest days in Paper Mountain in season 1, to the more recent 9th season.
The best of Menagerie setlist, in chronological order by season:
"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
"This Year" by The Mountain Goats
"Here Comes Your Man" by Pixies
"New Slang" by the Shins
"Hounds of Love" by The Futureheads
"Old Soul Song" by Bright Eyes
David Bowie medley
"Big Time Sensuality" by Björk
"Forever Song" by Josh Pyke
Season 10 brought Menagerie choir back to Fringe World, coming full circle to the Teatro tent where we performed in season two. Menagerie Choir presents: Keeping Secrets explored the universal, yet uniquely personal, experience of knowing something you think you can never tell.
Our setlist of secrets and confessions was:
"Do I Wanna Know" by Arctic Monkeys
"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star
"Should've Known Better" by Sufjan Stevens
"Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" by Of Montreal
"Even Though I'm a Woman" by Seeker Lover Keeper
"Little Green" by Joni Mitchell
"Slip Away" by Perfume Genius
"Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction
"Don't Carry It All" by The Decemberists
Season Nine culminated in one of our most successful Winter Warmer shows so far! We delved deep into the Menagerie song wishlist and came up with four songs that our choristers had been eagerly awaiting. We also collaborated with some members of Freo band, Salary, to produce a dark and swirling choral rendition of their song '40 in the shade'. Season Nine was also the first season for Zookeeper 3.0 - Sal Banyard.
Our setlist was:
'Forever Song' by Josh Pyke, arr. Alex Hill
'Heart's a Mess' by Gotyé, arr. Claire Coleman
'40 in the Shade' by Salary, choir parts by Sal Banyard
'Liliputt' by Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny, arr. Sal Banyard
'Wings of a Dove' by Madness, arr. Tiffany Ha
Season Eight was our fourth consecutive Fringe season! Themes and songs were suggested by the choir, with the creative panel deciding on our 'Menagerie Sings Cinema' cult/indie movie song theme.
Our evocative setlist was:
'Bang Bang', from Kill Bill, by Nancy Sinatra, arr. Kate Page
'Man of Constant Sorrow', from Oh Brother Where Art Thou, by the 'Soggy Bottom Boys', arr. Tiff Ha
'Big Time Sensuality', from Tank Girl, by Björk, arr. Tiff Ha
'Strings that tie to you', from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, by Jon Brion, arr. Sal Banyard
'Death', from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, by White Lies, arr. Claire Coleman
'Moonchild', from Buffalo '66, by King Crimson, arr. Alex Hill
'Starálfur', from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, by Sigur Rós, arr. Claire Coleman
'Where is my mind', from Fight Club, by the Pixies, arr. Sal Banyard
'Don't you (forget about me)', from The Breakfast Club, by Simple Minds, arr. Kate Page
Our setlist was:
'Forever Song' by Josh Pyke, arr. Alex Hill
'Heart's a Mess' by Gotyé, arr. Claire Coleman
'40 in the Shade' by Salary, choir parts by Sal Banyard
'Liliputt' by Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny, arr. Sal Banyard
'Wings of a Dove' by Madness, arr. Tiffany Ha
Season Eight was our fourth consecutive Fringe season! Themes and songs were suggested by the choir, with the creative panel deciding on our 'Menagerie Sings Cinema' cult/indie movie song theme.
Our evocative setlist was:
'Bang Bang', from Kill Bill, by Nancy Sinatra, arr. Kate Page
'Man of Constant Sorrow', from Oh Brother Where Art Thou, by the 'Soggy Bottom Boys', arr. Tiff Ha
'Big Time Sensuality', from Tank Girl, by Björk, arr. Tiff Ha
'Strings that tie to you', from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, by Jon Brion, arr. Sal Banyard
'Death', from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, by White Lies, arr. Claire Coleman
'Moonchild', from Buffalo '66, by King Crimson, arr. Alex Hill
'Starálfur', from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, by Sigur Rós, arr. Claire Coleman
'Where is my mind', from Fight Club, by the Pixies, arr. Sal Banyard
'Don't you (forget about me)', from The Breakfast Club, by Simple Minds, arr. Kate Page
Season Seven for Menagerie presented a unique direction. The choir considered women to be under-represented in music and in previous Menagerie set lists, so a female-focused season was agreed on, culminating in the end of season gig "Women Who (Indie) Rock" at the refurbished and reopened Badlands Bar.
Our women who indie rock setlist was:
"Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party", by Courtney Barnett, arr. Kate Newell
"All I Want", by Sarah Blasko, arr. Sal Banyard
"Leave A Trace", by Chvrches, arr. Claire Coleman
"Forever", by Haim, arr. Claire Coleman
Also performed was a Bowie tribute medley - arranged bespoke by Zookeeper Kate for the Revelation Film Festival.
Our women who indie rock setlist was:
"Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party", by Courtney Barnett, arr. Kate Newell
"All I Want", by Sarah Blasko, arr. Sal Banyard
"Leave A Trace", by Chvrches, arr. Claire Coleman
"Forever", by Haim, arr. Claire Coleman
Also performed was a Bowie tribute medley - arranged bespoke by Zookeeper Kate for the Revelation Film Festival.
Season Six repertoire was selected via a mall panel of Menageristas by blind vote. It aimed at drawing together songs and stories centering around choristers' experiences of embarking on the journey into adulthood and culminated in a sell-out Fringe World show.
It included:
"Alright", by Supergrass
"Freak", by Silverchair
"The Logical Song", by Supertramp
"Drivin' on 9", by The Breeders
"Wish You Were Here", by Pink Floyd
"Old Soul Song (for the New World Order)", by Bright Eyes
"Superstition", by Stevie Wonder
"Teenage Dirtbag", by Wheatus
We also collaborated with Junkadelic, singing backing vocals for "Thank You fa Lettin me be Mice Elf", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Lady Marmalade" and "Uptown Funk"
It included:
"Alright", by Supergrass
"Freak", by Silverchair
"The Logical Song", by Supertramp
"Drivin' on 9", by The Breeders
"Wish You Were Here", by Pink Floyd
"Old Soul Song (for the New World Order)", by Bright Eyes
"Superstition", by Stevie Wonder
"Teenage Dirtbag", by Wheatus
We also collaborated with Junkadelic, singing backing vocals for "Thank You fa Lettin me be Mice Elf", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Lady Marmalade" and "Uptown Funk"
Season Five repertoire was selected via a democratic process through members voting on a shortlist of songs submitted by Menagerie members.
It included:
"Hounds of Love", the Futureheads version of the iconic Kate Bush track
"Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear
"Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead
"Fall at Your Feet", Boy and Bear's update of the quintessential Crowded House classic
It included:
"Hounds of Love", the Futureheads version of the iconic Kate Bush track
"Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear
"Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead
"Fall at Your Feet", Boy and Bear's update of the quintessential Crowded House classic
Season Four repertoire was a mixed bag of songs for Menagerie, with the three Fringe soloists (Timothy Nelson, Ofa Fotu and Josh Fontaine) selecting one of their own original songs and a song that had influenced their development as songwriters and performers. The programme was augmented by choir member suggestions, and included:
"New Slang" by The Shins
"Ain't Nothin' ", an original song by Ofa Fotu a.k.a. Odette Mercy
"Plain Gold Ring" by Nina Simone, Kimbra version, performed with Ofa Fotu
"Smilin' ", an original song by Josh Fontaine
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Leadbelly, performed with Josh Fontaine
"Out of My Mind", an original song by Timothy Nelson
"One More Time" by Daft Punk, performed with Timothy Nelson
"Stay Alive" by Jose Gonzalez, performed with Timothy Nelson, Ofa Fotu and Josh Fontaine
"New Slang" by The Shins
"Ain't Nothin' ", an original song by Ofa Fotu a.k.a. Odette Mercy
"Plain Gold Ring" by Nina Simone, Kimbra version, performed with Ofa Fotu
"Smilin' ", an original song by Josh Fontaine
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Leadbelly, performed with Josh Fontaine
"Out of My Mind", an original song by Timothy Nelson
"One More Time" by Daft Punk, performed with Timothy Nelson
"Stay Alive" by Jose Gonzalez, performed with Timothy Nelson, Ofa Fotu and Josh Fontaine
Season Three's Menagerie repertoire was chosen by a hazy voting process by the choirlings, and included:
"Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki
"Ask" by The Smiths
"Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies
"The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by The Postal Service
"Wake Up" by Arcade Fire
"Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki
"Ask" by The Smiths
"Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies
"The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by The Postal Service
"Wake Up" by Arcade Fire
In Season Two, Menagerie's Fringe Festival show featured songs that held special significance for particular choristers. These brave members told the stories associated with the songs, giving a new context to each one. Season Two repertoire consisted of:
"This Year" by The Mountain Goats
"Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac
"Dr Worm" by They Might Be Giants
"Unrequited Love" by Lykke Li
"Wrapped Up In Books" by Belle and Sebastian
"Hair That Red" by Clare Bowditch
"Rabbit Heart" by Florence and the Machine
"Sonsick" by San Fermin
"This Year" by The Mountain Goats
"Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac
"Dr Worm" by They Might Be Giants
"Unrequited Love" by Lykke Li
"Wrapped Up In Books" by Belle and Sebastian
"Hair That Red" by Clare Bowditch
"Rabbit Heart" by Florence and the Machine
"Sonsick" by San Fermin
In Season One, Menagerie prepared a program of five favourite songs, as voted by the choir:
"Young Love" by Mystery Jets
"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
"Decatur, or Round of Applause for your Stepmother!" by Sufjan Stevens
"Not the Same" by Ben Folds
"Will You Please Be There For Me" by The Reindeer Section
"Young Love" by Mystery Jets
"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
"Decatur, or Round of Applause for your Stepmother!" by Sufjan Stevens
"Not the Same" by Ben Folds
"Will You Please Be There For Me" by The Reindeer Section