Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' AURORA (2024)

Choral Singing / Choral Music

AURORA presented by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Date: Sunday 7 July 2024, 3pm 
Venue: Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Hickson Road, Sydney

Southern and Northern Lights of the Choral Repertoire

Speaking of Aurora, VOX conductor Elizabeth Scott said, "This program has been inspired by our respect for and diverse interpretations of the world's natural phenomena and by our fascination with the mystery that is human nature. Despite the distance...we can see clear parallels in the way the power of nature inspires, influences and unites us."

~ ~ ~ 

                                          Celestial. Mesmerising. Gorgeous. 

Aurora - dawn, beginnings. or perhaps you think of the Aurora Australis and the Aurora Borealis - the southern and northern lights. Either way, this program has you covered, with the talented young singers of Sydney Philharmonia VOX performing luminous music by leading names of the contemporary choral scene, from both hemisphere. 

At the heart of this celestial aural experience sits Rautavaara's Missa a cappella - a contemplative devotional work by a Finnish mystic.  To frame it, VOX Associate Music Director Dr. Elizabeth Scott has chosen otherworldly and evocative music by Latvian Eriks Esenvalds and Estonian Arvo Paert. These northern 'lights' are joined by Eric Whitacre (his colourful Cloudburst), and three Australian voices. Sydney Philharmonia have commissioned new works from Nicholas Buc and James Henry (whose Murrgumurrgu made such an impression in 2023), and Luke Byrne's Desert Sea will make a welcome return.  

It is a mesmerising program that will showcase the pure sound and musical victuosity of VOX and inspire listeners the transformative beauty and sonic splendour of the music.  

Join Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for a public reception in Wharf 4/5 Studio and meet the performers following the concert.

Sunday 7 July 2024 at 3pm
Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney

 

PROGRAM

DEBORAH CHEETHAM FRAILLON and MATTHEW DOYLE
Tarimi Nulay – Long Time Living here †

ALICE CHANCE
Aurora Eora †

ĒRIKS EŠENVALDS
The First Tears
Rivers of Light

JAMES HENRY
Fire in the Night Sky †

ARVO PÄRT
Magnificat

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA
Missa a cappella (Credo, Kyrie)

ERIC WHITACRE
Cloudburst

NICHOLAS BUC
Starry Sky †

LUKE BYRNE
Desert Sea †

† Sydney Philharmonia Choirs commission

ARTISTS

Elizabeth Scott conductor
Luke Byrne piano

VOX

Duration: approximately 75 minutes. No interval.

Reviews: 

As available. 

Image  Credit:

AURORA, Philharmonia Choirs.

Resources:

AURORA. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Accessed June 25, 2024  (Available at this time)

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 2023 Season Catalogue. 

 

BOOK TICKETS HERE

DOWNLOAD FREE PROGRAM BOOK HERE

 

COVID-19 SAFETY AT SPC CONCERTS

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs regularly update their guidelines based on health directives from NSW Government & the Sydney Opera House. 

 

(c) June 24, 2024. Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs - Fauré Requiem

CHORAL MUSIC / Sydney Philharmonia Choirs


Sydney Philharmonia presents:

Fauré Requiem
Thursday,  28 March 2024, 7pm

Sydney Town Hall

French composer Gabriel Fauré composed Requiem in D minor, Op. 48, between 1887 and 1890, revised it in the 1890s, and finished it in 1900. The choral-orchestral setting of the shortened Catholic Mass for the Dead in Latin is the best-known of his large works.

The focus of Fauré Requiem is on eternal rest and consolation. Depicting peace and beauty of the heavenly afterlife, the spirit is restored and the soul is healed.   

 

                                    Image Credit: Sydney Philharrmonia

The last time Sydney Philharmonia Choirs sang Faure's Requiem was during the late 2020 under the strains of COVID-19, rehearsing and sharing music with us in the digital realm. This time, Sydney Philharmonia brings this live concert in Sydney Town Hall.

This Easter, SPC offer a concert that embraces the uplifting energy and the healing power of choral singing.

Fauré’s Requiem is paired with a revival of John Peterson’s Shadows and Light, an SPC commission inspired by both the texts of the requiem mass and the headlines of September 11, 2001. But the key to the program is not death but rest (requiem) and light.

Both works play to the virtuosity and youthful sound of VOX and Chamber Singers. Shadows and Light features Peterson’s animated rhythms and attractive blending of musical styles – traditional and popular – in music that reminds us we need shadow in order to ‘see the light’.

Fauré’s Requiem stands apart from its more theatrical counterparts. Instead of fire-and-brimstone drama, it’s beautiful and consoling – a ‘lullaby of death’. Experience Fauré’s original vision with its intimate use of instruments and voices, from the drama of the Libera Me to the ethereal purity of the Pie Jesu and a finale that will take you to paradise.

Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is the cathartic interlude in this profoundly moving concert.

Thursday 28 March at 7pm
Sydney Town Hall

This performance will run for 1 hour and 15 minutes. No interval.

PROGRAM

John Peterson Shadows and Light
Samuel BARBER Adagio for Strings
Gabriel FAURÉ Requiem
(1893 version edited by John Rutter)

ARTISTS

Elizabeth Scott conductor
Chloe Lankshear soprano
Andrew Goodwin tenor
Andrew O’Connor baritone
VOX and Chamber Singers
Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra

TICKETS

Premium $135 | A $110 | B $71 | C $50 | D $40
Concessions $122 | A $99| B $64 | C $45 | D $36
Under 30 $30
A booking fee of $8.95 per transaction applies.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Download Program here

SPC Chamber Singers & VOX. Image Credit: Eva Tilley

Suggested Videos for Listening: 

1. Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.

LEonard Slatkin conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.  Accessed March 13, 2024.   

 

2. In Paradisum (Fauré): Winchester Cathedral Choir. YouTube, uploaded by drwestbury. Accessed March 13, 2024. [Lyrics below: In Paradise (In paradisum)]

 

Angels lead you (Deducant te Angeli),
And give the Martyrs (In tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres),
 

And take you to the holy city; (Et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem),
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

Angels welcome; (Angelorum te suscipiat),

When Lazarus once poor, (Et cum Lazaro quondam paupere),
When Lazarus, once poor, (Et cum Lazaro quondam paupere).

have eternal rest; (æternam habeas requiem),
have eternal rest. (æternam habeas requiem).

4. Gabriel Fauré - Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 (Introduced by Sir John Gielgud) YouTube, uploaded by EuroArtsChannel. From the Winchester Cathedral. Winchester Cathedral Choir English Chamber Orchestra Martin Neary - conductor Thomas Allen - baritone Dominic Harvey (soloist at Pie Jesu) James Lancelot - organist.  4:35 I. Introit and Kyrie 12:00 II. Offertoire 20:48 III. Sanctus 24:32 IV. Pie Jesu 28:42 V. Agnus Dei et Lux aeterna 35:18 VI. Libera me 40:24 VII. In Paradisum.  Accessed March 13, 2024. 

Video Credit:

 

Faure Requiem. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

 

 

Resources:

Fauré Requiem. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.  Accessed March 13, 2024. (Available the time of posting.)   

 

Fauré (Requiem). en. wikipedia.org.  

 

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs 2024 Season.  

 

Reviews:  

 

Fauré’s Requiem (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs). Limelight. 4.5 STARS. Reviewed by Steve Moffatt. Accessed March 30, 2024.  

Review: Fauré's Requiem at Sydney Town Hall. eastsidefm.org. Reviewed by Paul Neeson. Accessed March 30, 2024.    

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Present Faure's Requiem conduced by Elizabeth Scott @ Sydney Town Hall on Thursday March 28 2024. 5 STARS. Reviewed by John Pollak. Accessed March 31, 2024. 

For COVID-19 SAFETY
Note from Sydney Philharmonia Choirs: 

• The number of people in attendance will be limited in accordance with current Public Health Orders and ensuring appropriate physical distancing at all times.
• Hand sanitiser will be available and audience members over the age of 12 are required to wear masks.
• To minimise unnecessary contact, we will be distributing a digital program book, available in advance.

DETAILS ABOUT OUR COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN

(c) March 13, 2024. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved. 

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Carols at the House (2023)

Choral Singing / Choral Music

CAROLS at the HOUSE (2023) presented by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Dates: Friday 15 December 2023, 8pm; Saturday16 Dec, 8pm; Sunday 17 Dec, 2pm  (with ABC Classic live broadcast)
Venue: Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney

A Christmas treat for the ears and for the heart. 

Carols at the House is back! True to form, we’re combining beautiful and uplifting music with your favourite Christmas carols and filling the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House with the sound of a 600-strong choir and full symphony orchestra.

Australian stage icon John Bell will shape the program with moving and thoughtful spoken interludes. Popular soprano Julie Lea Goodwin is Sydney Philharmoni Choirs' featured soloist. And conductor Elizabeth Scott has chosen the perfect selection of music for this family-friendly concert.

John Rutter’s Gloria is the highlight: a magnificent setting of the words the angels spoke to the shepherds on the first Christmas Night. Blazing brass, gorgeous harmonies and ecstatic singing. Highlights from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet music set the party mood. Favourites ranging from Irving Berlin’s White Christmas to highlights from Handel’s Messiah will evoke a northern hemisphere Yuletide, while Australian carols, both classic and new, and Luke Byrne’s rapturous Capricorn bring the concert Down Under.

As a special treat, ABC Classic host Vanessa Hughes will compere the concert and on Sunday, everyone is invited to join in singing Summer Together – a new song written by Elena Kats-Chernin with words by Kirli Saunders. ABC Classic will live broadcast the performance as part of the ABC Classic Choir initiative.

Of course there will also be opulent arrangements of carols and popular standards, stirring baroque choruses, some unexpected delights and plenty of audience participation – perfection.

Join in the Carols at the House tradition and celebrate Christmas with us!

Friday 15 December 2023 at 8pm
Saturday 16 December 2023 at 8pm
Sunday 17 December 2023 at 2pm (with ABC Classic Live Broadcast) 
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

PROGRAM

RUTTER Gloria
HANDEL Messiah (highlights)
TCHAIKOVSKY Nutcracker: Suite
ADAMS O Holy Night
BERLIN White Christmas
BYRNE Capricorn
KATS-CHENIN & SAUNDERS Summer Together
and an eclectic mix of singalong carols and favourite Christmas music.

This program will run for approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. 

ARTISTS

Elizabeth Scott conductor
Vanessa Hughes compere
John Bell actor
Julie Lea Goodwin soprano
Symphony Chorus
VOX
Christmas Choir
Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra

TICKETS

Premium $129 | A $105 | B $85 | C $60 | D $45
Concessions $116 | A $92| B $75 | C $55 | D $41
Under 30 $30
A booking fee of $8.95 per transaction applies.

Under 30 $30
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

A digital program book will be available to download on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $10 each at the concert.

ABC CLASSIC CHOIR | SUNDAY PRE-CONCERT SING

Everyone is invited to join conductor Elizabeth Scott for a run-through of Elena Kats-Chernin’s song Summer Together ahead of the concert. In the concert, the whole audience will sing the song and will be broadcast live on ABC Classic.

Seating is on the carpeted stairs in the Northern Foyer.
Access the Northern Foyer via the new tunnel from the Southern Foyer.

• Sunday 17 December: 1:15PM-1:45PM
• Concert Hall, Northern Foyer stairs

BROADCAST

ABC Classic will live broadcast the 2PM Sunday 17 December performance.

Broadcast partner

Reviews: 

Carols at the House. Stage Whispers. Reviewed by Carol Wimmer. Accessed Dec. 18, 2023

Review: Carols at the House – Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. EAST SIDE FM 89.7 (eastsidefm.org). Accessed December 19, 2023.

SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA CHOIRS : CAROLS AT THE HOUSE. 5 Stars. Sydney Arts Guide. Reviewed by David Kary. Dec 17, 2023. Accessed Dec. 18, 2023

Video Credit:

Carols at the House (2023). YouTube, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. 

Image  Credit:

Carols at the House (2023). Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

Resources:

Carols at the House (2023). Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Accessed October 24, 2023  (Available at this time)

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 2023 Season Catalogue.

COVID-19 SAFETY AT SPC CONCERTS

Up-to-date COVID guidelines will be available a few weeks before the concert. Please note that we regularly update our guidelines based on health advice available at the time.

 

(c) October 24, 2023. Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' The Little Match Girl PASSION

Choral Singing / Choral Music

The Little Match Girl PASSION presented by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Date: Saturday 14 October 7:30pm (2023)
Venue: Verbrugghen Hall, Conservatorium of Music, Sydney

"Lang's retelling of Hans Andersen's fairy tale is an entrancingly beautiful piece... what makes it so compelling is the haunting vocal writing."

~ The Guardian ~

 

 

 A modern reflection on a tragic fable - a passion for our time. 

In a Sydney Philharmonia Choirs first, they're presenting one of the most profound choral works of our time: David Lang’s Pulitzer prize-winning Little Match Girl Passion.

Lang takes Hans Christian Andersen’s dark tale – almost too despairing to be a children’s story – and views it through the lens of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, weaving its narrative of suffering and hope with commentary and reflections that heighten its emotional impact.

“There is no Bach in this piece,” says Lang, “and there is no Jesus.” Instead he substitutes the suffering of the Little Match Girl for Jesus’ suffering, “elevating her sorrow to a higher plane”.

Musically, The Little Match Girl Passion combines the clarity of unaccompanied voices with the antique aura of bells and drums, building a haunting sound world from the simplest of means. It’s impossible to hear this breathtaking music – this passion for our time – and be left unmoved.

To complement Lang’s 35-minute oratorio, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs have chosen music for choir and piano by Australian composers Luke Byrne and Naomi Crellin. VOX will perform this concert in the wonderful acoustics of Verbrugghen Hall at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Saturday 14 October 2023 at 7.30pm
Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music

 

PROGRAM

BYRNE Four Songs from Grimm’s
BYRNE The Six Swans
CRELLIN Thrice Upon a Time*
LANG The Little Match Girl Passion

* Premiere
This program will run for approximately 70 minutes, without interval.

ARTISTS

Elizabeth Scott conductor
VOX
Luke Byrne piano
Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra

 

TICKETS

General admission | $75
No concessions or Youth prices
**Buy this concert with MacMillan’s Stabat Mater for $140**
A booking fee of $8.95 per transaction applies.

Reviews: 

‘Clear as a bell’ VOX in an impressive performance. ClassicON. Reviewed by Daniel Kaan | Oct 15, 2023 | Ambassador thoughts, Chamber Groups, Choirs. 

SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA CHOIRS-VOX : THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL PASSION @VERBRUGGHEN HALL. 5 Stars.  Sydney Arts Guide. Reviewed by Paul Nolan, 16 October, 2023.

  Related Link:

David Lang – The Little Match Girl Passion | A day in the library | Ep. 5 |.  YouTube, uploaded by The Norwegian Soloists' Choir. The Norwegian Soloists' Choir (Det Norske Solistkor) and conductor Yuval Weinberg perform composer David Lang's "The Little Match Girl Passion", based on H. C. Andersens' fairytale The Little Match Girl (Piken med svovelstikkene). Accessed September 11, 2023. 

Video Credit:

2023 MacMillan Stabat Mater & The Little Match Girl Passion. YouTube, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Accessed October 9, 2023.

Image  Credit:

The Little Match Girl PASSION. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

Australian Composers Luke Byrne (L) and Naomi Crellin (R). Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

 

Resources:

The Little Match Girl PASSION. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Accessed August 11, 2023  (Available at this time)

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 2023 Season Catalogue. 

 

BOOK TICKETS HERE

COVID-19 SAFETY AT SPC CONCERTS

Up-to-date COVID guidelines will be available a few weeks before the concert. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs regularly update their guidelines based on health directives from NSW Government & the Sydney Opera House. 

 

(c) August 11, 2023. Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 2022 Handel: Messiah

Classical Music / Choral Singing

Handel: Messiah

Thursday 8 December at 8pm
Saturday 10 December at 1pm
Sunday 11 December at 1pm
 

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Image credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

The world has entered a “new normal”, so many habits you took for granted have changed. But the tradition of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' biennial Messiah holds fast – a musical anchor to the concert season.

                        Handel’s Messiah, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, 2022. 

                                        Photo © Simon Crossley-Meates

Since 1742, when it was premiered in Dublin, Handel’s Messiah has never left the repertoire. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs has been performing it for nearly a hundred years. With its stirring choruses and sublime solos, and its dramatic expression of faith, Handel’s great oratorio stands as a beacon in the concert calendar – an event to look forward to.

And after a season of singing together again, all SPC choirs will be joining forces in December for what is its finest, most definitive, performance of Messiah yet. From VOX and the Chamber Singers to  Symphony Chorus and the community of singers in the annual Christmas Chorus, SPC look forward to singing its favourite Handel oratorio. The energy of Messiah.

Images Credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

ARTISTS

Brett Weymark conductor
Lorina Gore soprano
Ashlyn Tymms mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Jones tenor
Morgan Pearse baritone
Symphony Chorus
Chamber Singers
VOX
Christmas Choir
Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra

PROGRAM

Deborah CHEETHAM & Matthew DOYLE Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here*
George Frideric HANDEL Messiah
* Commissioned for our 100 Minutes of New Australian Music project

A digital program book will be available to download on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

TICKETS

Premium $124 | A $101 | B $79 | C $58 | D $45
Concessions $112 | A $90| B $71 | C $52 | D $41
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies

Reviews: 

Handel: Messiah (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs). Conducted by Brett Weymark, "Handel's Messiah shines a fresh light after the dark months of the pandemic."  4.5 STARS!  Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. Reviewed by Steve Moffatt on 9 Dec, 2022. 

SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA CHOIRS – MESSIAH @ SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE.  Reviewed by Paul Nolan on 11 December, 2022. Sydney Arts Guide.  "Weymark has thrown down an oratorio gauntlet to ensure our entertainment. His dynamic interpretation and harnessing of the 600 plus choir, the orchestra emitting a crisp accompaniment and soloists pitted against all forces from their challenging spot mid stage were breathtaking elements in this version."

Related Articles: 

• Handel Oratorio Messiah 
  
• Sydney Philharmonia Choirs - Handel's Messiah 2019
• Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Handel's Messiah 2017

Resources:    

• Handel Messiah - Sydney Opera House 2022. Accesed November 22, 2022.
• Sydney Philharmonia Choirs  - Handel: Messiah. (Available at the time of posting) Accessed November 22, 2022.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

COVID-19 SAFETY AT OUR CONCERTS

• All SPC singers, musicians and staff are double vaccinated.
• Audiences at the Sydney Opera House are strongly encouraged to wear masks while inside the foyers and Concert Hall, including during the performance. If this changes, we will inform patrons as soon as possible.
• The Sydney Opera House has a well-maintained and effective air-conditioning system to maximise ventilation with fresh air.
• The Sydney Opera House regularly cleans high-traffic and high-touch areas with hospital-grade disinfectant.
• Hand sanitiser stations with aloe vera gel are available in paths of travel, frequently accessed areas and near bathroom facilities.
• Sydney Opera House staff have COVID-19 safety training.
• A digital program book will be available to download on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

DETAILS ABOUT OUR COVID SAFE PLAN

 

(c) November 22, 2022. Updated December 11, 2011 Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Glorious Puccini Messa di Gloria & Opera Highlights

Choral Singing / Classical Music

 

Glorious Puccini: Messa di Gloria & Opera Highlights

Date: Saturday 29 October | 8pm
Venue: Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Experience the passion and power of Puccini's music sung by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 300-voice Festival Chorus choristers, four of Australia's star soloists and the talented musicians of The Sydney Youth Orchestra .

 

Image credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
 

How do we love Puccini? Let us count the ways…

There’s his sense of drama and his concern for human stories and real emotion but, above all, we love the glorious, flowing melodies that stay in your ears long after the curtain comes down. We love the sensuousness of Manon Lescaut, the grand tragedy of Tosca, the heart-rending pathos of Madama Butterfly – guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes – and the mystery of Turandot. This is the Puccini we know and love, and for this gala concert, Brett Weymark has assembled highlights to showcase the 400 voices of the Festival Chorus and our soloists – stars of the operatic stage. We’ll be joined by the Sydney Youth Orchestra in full force – performing Puccini’s colourful orchestrations without compromise.            

But first we’ll be revealing a little-known side of Puccini. He might have decided upon a career as an opera composer at the age of 18 – inspired by Verdi’s Aida – but he came from a long line of church musicians and the culmination of his musical studies was the ambitious Messa di Gloria. This rarely heard mass setting hints at the opera composer to come, with generous melodies and the way he brings drama to the ritual. But, above all, it’s 40 minutes of high-octane choral singing – joyous, dancing and, yes, fun!

 

 Credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

PROGRAM

Deborah CHEETHAM & Matthew DOYLE Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here*
Giacomo PUCCINI Messa di Gloria
Highlights from Puccini operas…
Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo
Tosca: Te Deum (Tre sbirri, una carrozza)
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus and other highlights from Act II
Turandot: Nessun dorma and other highlights
* Commissioned for our 100 Minutes of New Australian Music project

A digital program book will be available on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

ARTISTS

Brett Weymark conductor
Cheryl Barker soprano
Antoinette Halloran soprano
Bradley Daley tenor
Peter Coleman-Wright baritone
Festival Chorus
Sydney Youth Orchestra

TICKETS

Premium $124 | A $101 | B $79 | C $58 | D $45
Concessions $112 | A $90| B $71 | C $52 | D $41
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies.

Review: 

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs: Glorious Puccini. Sydney Arts Guide, written by Annabelle Drumm, 31 October 2022. Accessed 10 Nov 2022.

Interesting Articles:  

Glorious Puccini: Messa di Gloria and Opera Highlights, Sydney Opera House.  AussieTheatre.com.  20 September 2022. Accessed  9 October 2022.

Puccini's Musical Mastery Glows in a Forgotten Mass. The New York Times / Art. By Raymond Ericson, dated April 8, 1984.

Resources:

2022 Season Together Again. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Artistic & Music Director Brett Weymark, OAM

Glorious Puccini: Messa di Gloria & Opera Highlights. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.  (Available on access, 9 October 2022.)

 

COVID-19 SAFETY

• All SPC singers, musicians and staff are double vaccinated.
• Audiences will be required to wear masks throughout the performance. If this changes we will inform patrons as soon as possible.
• Hand sanitiser will be available.
• A digital program book will be available on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

DETAILS ABOUT SPC COVID SAFE PLAN

(c) 9 October 2022.  Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Jubilation: Handel & Haydn

Choral Singing / Classical Music

 

Jubilation: Handel & Haydn

Date:  Sunday 22 May 2022, 3pm
Venue:  Sydney Town Hall

 

 

Image credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
 

The last time Sydney Philharmonia's Festival Chorus performed was in September 2019. Now, as they come together for the first time in nearly two years, they're putting the “festive” back into Festival with a magnificent and uplifting program guaranteed to put a smile on every face.

 

Organist David Drury. Image Credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

                 

There’s nothing restrained about this program. Handel’s four Coronation Anthems, commissioned personally by George II, are in the grand ceremonial style – majestic music capturing all the pomp and splendour of the occasion. Haydn’s Nelson Mass is remarkable for its boldness and rich dramatic power. And Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Festival Chorus bring the celebratory spirit into the present with three new orchestral interludes commissioned from emerging Sydney composers. Sublime!

PROGRAM

George Frideric HANDEL The King Shall Rejoice
Tomas PARRISH-CHYNOWETH The Fractured Crown*
HANDEL Zadok the Priest
Aidan Charles ROSA Ineffable*
HANDEL Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
Aija DRAGUNS Lavender Paper Cranes*
HANDEL My Heart is Inditing
Joseph HAYDN Missa in angustiis, Hob.XXII:11 (Nelson Mass)
* Premiere

This performance will run for approximately 2 hours, including one 20-minute interval.

 

Top: Penelope Mills, soprano; Russell Harcourt, countertenor
Below: Louis Hurley, tenor; Christopher Richardson, bass-baritone.
Image Credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

 

ARTISTS

Brett Weymark conductor
Penelope Mills soprano
Russell Harcourt countertenor
Louis Hurley tenor
Christopher Richardson bass-baritone
Festival Chorus
Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra

 

TICKETS

Premium $112 | A $101 | B $79 | C $58
Concessions: Premium $101 | A $90| B $71 | C $52
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies.

 

Reviews: 

Will be provided as available. 

Resources:

2022 Season Together Again. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Artistic & Music Director Brett Weymark, OAM

Jubilation: Handel & Bach. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.  (Available on access, 8 May 2022.)

 

BOOK TICKETS HERE

COVID-19 SAFETY

• All SPC singers, musicians and staff are double vaccinated.
• Audiences will be required to wear masks throughout the performance. If this changes we will inform patrons as soon as possible.
• Hand sanitiser will be available.
• A digital program book will be available on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

DETAILS ABOUT OUR COVID SAFE PLAN

(c) 8 May 2022.  Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Bach: Mass in B Minor

Choral Singing / Baroque Music

JS Bach's Mass in B Minor

Date: Saturday 16 April 2022, 3pm
Venue: Sydney Town Hall

 

What would be your “desert island” Bach?

At Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, they would nominate his Mass in B minor. In just under two hours, this astonishing choral work does it all. On the one hand, it’s a literal portfolio of Bach’s tremendous musical accomplishment – a virtuoso display of style and taste, from the academic to the fashionable, wonderfully varied and yet completely coherent. Easily the most impressive job application in the history of music. Bach collated many of his finest vocal and orchestral styles and examples from across his lifetime: it’s like a sublime “best-of album” from 300 years ago.  

When Bach eventually completed the Mass in B minor, he signed it “D.S.G.” – Deo Soli Gloria, the Latin term for Latin term for Glory to God alone. This music was a celebration of an ancient liturgical tradition – an ecumenical setting of the Latin Mass by a deeply devout Lutheran inspired to the glory of God alone.

It was also completely impractical: too long for use in church and calling for brilliant musicians – it’s as if every singer and instrumentalist has a solo part to play. But that’s exactly what makes it so satisfying in the concert hall. In her first concert as Associate Music Director, Dr. Elizabeth Scott will conduct the beautiful voices of SPC's Chamber Singers and young adult choir, VOX  – a precision ensemble of singers – accompanied by their own 42-piece Baroque period instrument orchestra, four of Australia's best soloists, for a virtuoso performance to do justice to Bach’s supreme musical craft and spiritual inspiration.  

Video Credit: Keith Saunders, Michael Bradfield, Robert Catto & Rebecca Sawyer.

PROGRAM

Deborah CHEETHAM & Matthew DOYLE Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here*
Johann Sebastian BACH Mass in B minor, BWV 232

* Commissioned for our 100 Minutes of New Australian Music project.

This performance will run for approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, including one 20-minute interval.

 

Dr. Elizabeth Scott, Conductor 

 

 Top: Celeste Lazarenko, soprano; Anna Dowsley, mezzo-soprano
Below: Jonathan Abernethy, tenor; Simon Lobelson, baritone.

 

ARTISTS

Elizabeth Scott conductor
Celeste Lazarenko soprano
Anna Dowsley mezzo-soprano
Jonathan Abernethy tenor
Simon Lobelson baritone
Chamber Singers
VOX
Sydney Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

Composed over the course of 16 years, Bach's B Minor Mass is a compendium of every aspect of Bach’s genius and a profound testament of his faith.  Johann Sebastian Bach was a deeply religious man. On July 28, 1750, less than a year after completing B-minor Mass, he died in Leipzig, due to complications from treatment following eye surgery. His body in a humble oak casket was buried in a site unmarked until the mid-19th century. Mozart found revelation in Bach's work reflected in the younger composer's famous unfinished Requiem. But it was not until 1829, during Mendelssohn's revival of Bach's work, in particular, Mendelssohn’s momentous performance of the St. Matthew Passion that secured Bach’s place in history.  Bach's Mass was published in 1845, nearly 100 years after the composer's death. Complete performances followed in Europe.  Bach's B-minor Mass is a masterful combination of sublimity and profundity.

Reviews: 

Bach: Mass in B Minor (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs). Bach’s magnificent Easter offering is given it due reward by a crack team. 4.5 stars. Reviewed by Steve Moffatt.  Accessed April 19, 2022. 

Nothing minor about Sydney Philharmonic Choirs’ Bach Mass. 3.5 stars. Reviewed by Peter McCallum. Accessed April 20, 2022.l

Video Credits:

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Keith Saunders, Michael Bradfield, Robert Catto & Rebecca Sawyer.

Resources:

2022 Season Together Again. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Artistic & Music Director Brett Weymark, OAM

Bach B Minor Mass. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.  (Available on access, 23 March 8, 2022.)

TICKETS

Premium $112 | A $92 | B $71 | C $50
Concessions $101 | A $83| B $64 | C $45
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies.

 

BOOK TICKETS HERE

COVID-19 SAFETY

• All SPC singers, musicians and staff are double vaccinated.
• Audiences will be required to show proof of double vaccination upon entry to the Sydney Town Hall.
• Audiences will be required to wear masks throughout the performance. If this changes we will inform patrons as soon as possible.
• Hand sanitiser will be available.
• A digital program book will be available on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

DETAILS ABOUT OUR COVID SAFE PLAN

(c) March 2022.  Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Mozart Requiem & Revelations

CHORAL MUSIC / Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs present:
MOZART Requiem & Revelations

 

Saturday, 19 March 2022, 3pm
Sydney Town Hall

Photo Credit: Robert Catto

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem is legendary in more ways than one. Even setting aside the popular fictions, there’s something deeply moving in the idea of a composer striving on his deathbed to finish his last creation, breaking off just a few lines into the heartbreaking lament of the Lacrimosa. And of his widow handing the music over to a student so it could be completed for the “mystery” client. It’s a well-known story – as familiar to music-lovers as the music itself. 

Which is why Brett Weymark wants us to hear it with fresh ears. Mozart would have expected to hear his Requiem in church, with chanting and ceremonial business between the musical numbers. In this program, Brett has created a kind of “liturgy” for the concert hall, interweaving the sections of the Requiem with music from throughout Mozart’s life – musical gems that hint at what was to come.

Some you’ll probably recognise (the Ave verum corpus), some may seem oddly familiar (a gorgeous choral adaptation of the Adagio from the Gran Partita), others will sound intriguingly new. Together they amplify the beauty and drama of Mozart’s ultimate masterwork in a musical revelation.

And in Dolor ultimæ melodiæ (Grief of the last song), Jessica Wells creates a meditation on the “Amen” of the Lacrimosa – picking up with a contemporary voice from the point where Mozart left off.

 

Clockwise from top left: Soprano Chloe Lankshear, Mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell, Bass David Greco and Tenor Andrew Goodwin. 

Photo credit: SPC

 

Sydney composer Jessica Wells

Photo Credit: Steven Godbee

 

PROGRAM

Deborah CHEETHAM & Matthew DOYLE Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here*
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Requiem (Süssmayr completion)
interleaved with…
Masonic Funeral Music, K.477
Miserere mei (Kyrie, K.90)
Ne pulvis et cini, K.Anh.122 (based on a chorus from Thamos, King of Egypt)
Solfeggio No.2 (Adagio), K.393
Quis te comprehendat, K.Anh. 110 (based on the Adagio from the Gran Partita, K.361)
O Gottes Lamm (from 2 Sacred Hymns, K.343)
Ave verum corpus, K.618
Laudate Dominum (from Solemn Vespers for a Confessor, K.339)
and traditional plainchants from the Mass for the Dead
Jessica WELLS Dolor ultimæ melodiæ**
* Commissioned for our 100 Minutes of New Australian Music project
**Premiere

ARTISTS

Brett Weymark conductor
Chloe Lankshear soprano
Sally-Anne Russell mezzo-soprano
Andrew Goodwin tenor
David Greco bass
Symphony Chorus
Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra

 

This program will be approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. No interval. 

 

TICKETS

Premium $112 | A $92 | B $71 | C $50
Concessions $101 | A $83| B $64 | C $45
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies.

BOOK Tickets Here

 

Reviews:

 

•  Mozart Requiem and Revelations (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs).  This "Requiem of the Imagination", featuring Mozart and new music by Jessica Wells, was a superb concert eliciting excitement and joy. Limelight Magazine, by Steve Moffatt. Reviewed 19 March 2022. Accessed 24 Mrch 2022.
  

•  MOZART – REQUIEM AND REVELATIONS | Sydney Arts Guide. Sydney Arts Guide by Paul Nolan. Reviewed 22 March 2022. Accessed March 24. 2022.

•  Review: Mozart: Requiem & Revelation at the Sydney Town Hall. EastSideFm(89.7),  by Paul Neeson. Reviewed 20 March 2022. Accessed 24 March 2022.
  

 

Resources & Features:

• 2022 Season Together Again. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.  
• "Beyond the Requiem with Brett Weymark and Jessica Wells". A conductor and composer map out a journey through Mozart's final masterpiece for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Limelight Magazine. By Clive Paget on 11 March, 2022. Accessed March 11, 2022. 
• Mozart Requiem & Revelations. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. (Available at this posting) Accessed 4 February 2022.    
• Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Performs 'Mozart: Requiem & Revelations' at Sydney Town Hall in March. The performance is on Saturday March 19. Broadway World Sydney. By Stephi Wild, February 7, 2022. Accessed February 8, 2022.

 

COVID-19 SAFETY INFORMATION

(Note from Sydney Philharmonia Choirs) 

• All SPC singers, musicians and staff are double vaccinated.
• Audiences will be required to QR code and show proof of double vaccination upon entry to the Sydney Town Hall.
• Audiences will be required to wear masks throughout the performance. If this changes we will inform patrons as soon as possible.
• Hand sanitiser will be available.
• A digital program book will be available on this page a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

Details About SPC  COVID Safe Plan 

 

 

This website supports Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

 

 

(c) February 4, 2022. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 2021 SING ON! A Choral Celebration

Choral Singing/

SING ON! A Choral Celebration

Date: Saturday 24 July 3pm (Due to Sydney lockdown resulting from COVID-19 Delta variant, this concert has been moved to 21 November 3pm, 2021.)

 

Venue: Sydney Town Hall

  

A concert like this only comes around every 100 years, or so. COVID-19 may have put paid to Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' centenary concert last year, but they're determined to present the amazing music planned so in 2021 – a long year later – they are thrilled to invite everyone their all-new, all-Australian choral extravaganza.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs are proud that they can now present works that were commissioned as part of their 100 Minutes of New Australian Music centenary project, such as Indigenous composer James Henry’s hypnotic Murrgumurrgu.

Photo credit: Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Elena Kats-Chernin’s Human Waves reflects the rich legacy of Australia’s migrant history. Elena said, “Brett Weymark had a vision for a large work to be centred around the tapestry of our mixed community: an exploration and celebration of Australia’s diversity and how the fusion of cultures and traditions has enriched our society and taught us tolerance, thoughtfulness and gratefulness. He came up with the title Human Waves which I loved from the beginning. It can mean so many things: a warm wave of welcome; the waves of the ocean – bringing so many migrants by boat; the waves people make when they change society.”

Daniel Walker’s Choral Crackers is a high-energy medley of the top-10 hallmark choral works that have featured in SPC's performances over the last 100 years – works such as Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’, Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Zadok the Priest.

The journey from that first concert at Randwick Hospital on 9 September 1920 by the newly formed Hurlstone Park Choral Society – through wars, generations, seismic culture shifts and a global pandemic – has seen Sydney Philharmonia Choirs what it has become, Australia’s premier choral arts company. Celebrate with them at Sing On!

The program will run for approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

PROGRAM

Deborah CHEETHAM & Matthew DOYLE Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here†
Daniel BRINSMEAD Cantate Domino*†
Andrew ANDERSON Song in My Heart*†
Elena KATS-CHERNIN Human Waves*†
James HENRY Murrgumurrgu*†
Matthew ORLOVICH MMXX A Meditation on Auld Lang Syne*
Daniel WALKER Choral Crackers*

*Premiere
† Commissioned as part of our 100 Minutes of New Australian Music centenary project in 2020. 

ARTISTS
Brett Weymark conductor
Elizabeth Scott conductor
Chamber Singers
Symphony Chorus
VOX

Elena Kats-Chernin piano
Sydney Youth Orchestra
Members of Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra

Tickets: Premium $109 | A $89 | B $69 | C $49. Concessions available.
A booking fee of $8.50 per transaction applies.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

 

Reviews:
 

Will be provided as available.


Related Link:

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' 2021 SING ON! A Choral Celebration. Inspired Pen Web, Tel Asiado. June 11, 2021.

Resources:

Sing On! A Choral Celebration. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Website. (Available on access, June 11, 2021.)

Sing On! A Choral Celebration. Sydney Opera House Website (Available on access, June 23, 2021)

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Will Perform SING ON! A CHORAL CELEBRATION in July. By Stephi Wild, May 20, 2021. Broadway World. Accessed June 11, 2021.



COVID-19 SAFETY

• Audiences will be required to QR code register upon entry to the Sydney Town Hall.
• As a condition of the venue, audiences will be required to wear masks throughout the performance. If this changes we will inform patrons as soon as possible.
• Hand sanitizer will be available.
• We will publish a digital program book on our website a week prior to the concert. A limited number of printed program books will be available for $5 each at the concert.

DETAILS ABOUT COVID SAFE PLAN

(c) June 11, 2021. Updated June 23, 2021. Tel.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.