21 August 2016
It was with great sadness that we heard of the passing of Wal Cooper last Friday. Des Grayson and Robert Macaulay were in the process of nominating Wal for life membership of the Choir at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 25 August. Their supporting statement read in part:
"Wal Cooper has been an integral part of the ARC since it was first set up under the auspices of Sing Australia and its director, Colin Slater. At the time when the split came between the ARC and Colin Slater, the ARC could well have suffered the same fate as other organisations that divide and imploded. However, under the careful direction of Wal and others who assisted him during this period, the ARC not only survived, but entered a whole new phase at the Duntroon Music Centre, where we formed new relationships and integrated with specialist musicians.
With our new relationship with the Duntroon Army Band, the ARC developed from a group who could only sing just ordinary music to a choir that was starting to develop into a group which was becoming competent at four part harmony. We were also becoming better known as a choir in its own right, and not as a sub-group of Sing Australia.
The years that Wal spent at the helm of the ARC encouraged the development of the Choir into the body it is today. However, Wal's influence and commitment to the Choir did not cease when he stood down as President. As a person who is committed to the community, Wal's activities with Rotary has seen the development of the ARC's regional activities. The most recent of these was at Chevalier College at Burradoo. Even the day he was taken ill, he was supporting his choir at the War Memorial."
Bob Nield