COLLINS ST BAPTIST CHURCH

Bach’s motets are amongst the most mesmerising and perfectly constructed of all his works. Their extraordinary complexity makes colossal demands of anyone who would perform them, and they formed the core repertory Bach expected his pupils to sing and to master.
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Choristry is delighted to present a selection of these choral masterworks, alongside some of the 20th Century’s most exquisite pieces, including Arvo Pärt’s sublime Spiegel Im Spiegel, for cello and piano.

Join us at Collins St Baptist Church for an evening of thrilling and uplifting music, from the composer who set the benchmark to which all who followed would aspire.

ST JOHN'S SOUTHGATE
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Choristry is excited to partner with Sydney-based Ristretto Chamber Choir to perform a concert of music inspired by the night sky and our place in the universe.

Piano and a string quartet will accompany the choirs performing works by Ola Gjeilo, Ériks Ešenvalds, Arvo Pärt and a newly commissioned piece by young Australian composer Ella Macens, Look Up – the Sky is Glowing.  

Choristry’s Artistic Director, Dan Walker has also arranged Sigur Rós’ stunning Starálfur alongside works by Depeche Mode.

CHUNKY MOVE STUDIO

Audacious.  Subversive.  Underground.

Join Choristry and guest artist Trevor Jones as we explore the dimly-lit clubs of 1930s Europe, Off-Broadway New York and beyond in a performance of songs that celebrate the darker side of popular music.  

Set in cabaret-style seating in Studio 1 at Chunky Move, we are delighted to present works from Kurt Weill, Noel Coward, Francis Poulenc, Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer, Sting and many more.      

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, KEW

Choristry is delighted to bring you On the Threshold of Night, a collection of beautiful choral works by some of Britain’s most celebrated composers.

Spanning some four centuries, our musical sojourn includes the 16th century polyphony of Tallis and Byrd and Benjamin Britten’s extraordinary Hymn to St. Cecilia, as well as the inimitable sounds of contemporary composers such as Jonathan Dove, Tarik O’Regan and James MacMillan.

LIBRARY AT THE DOCK

Join Choristry on a musical safari as we celebrate the music written for our feathered, furred and finned friends.

From the musical jokes of Josquin to the wit of Eric Whitacre, this motley collection of animal-inspired choral works will engage and amuse listeners of all ages.

In our first appearance at Library at the Dock, we are delighted to present two performances: the 11am performance will run for 40 minutes, perfect for our younger concert-goers.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, KEW

Join Choristry for a journey through the beautiful music of Italy’s 16th and 17th centuries, a period of stylistic change.

Our programme begins with the grandfather of Italian polyphony, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and visits some of the great composers who ushered in this musical revolution.

From the tortured genius of composer-prince and murderer Carlo Gesualdo, to the gloriously lush work of Antonio Lotti, we will present a selection of repertoire from the real musical movers and shakers of this period, along with lesser-known composers such as Felice Anerio and Antonio Caldara.

This feast of sumptuous singing will haunt you, uplift you, and stir the senses.

ST JOHN'S SOUTHGATE

Featuring works by Leonard Bernstein, Eric Whitacre, Randall Thompson and Samuel Barber, this collection of sublime pieces by American composers also featured soprano soloist, Fiona Nicholson.

Singing to a full house at St John’s Lutheran Church, Southgate, we welcomed our new Musical Director, Dan Walker. 

ST JOHN'S SOUTHGATE

Our final concert for the 2014 was Call of the Birds,  held on Sunday the 23rd of November at 3pm at St John’s Lutheran Church in Southbank, and featuring guest conductor Dan Walker. This concert incorporated a collection of works celebrating the colours and sounds of the sky.

Featuring works by some of Australia’s finest choral composers, the first half of the program had a strong avian theme: Aria Award winning performer and composer Sally Whitwell’s A Hundred Thousand Birds, a nod to the pastoral English choral tradition of Vaughan Williams and Stamford; Sydney composer David Basden’s richly voiced a cappella work, The Birds; the Australian premiere of Dan Walker’s Call of the Birds; Iain Grandage’s setting of Bush Songs, as well as a clever arrangement of Lennon and McCartney’s timeless classic Blackbird.

Two carols by Australian composer William James signaled the halfway point of the program, and as dusk descended, stars took over as the source of beauty and wonderment in the sky. This bracket featured Ben Van Tienen’s Christmas-themed Just One Star, in an adaptation arranged specifically for Choristry, as well as arrangements of The Beach Boys' God Only Knows and Irish vocal trio The Wailin’ Jennys' The Parting Glass.

ST JOHN'S SOUTHGATE
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Bringing winter to a close, Choristry gave a full performance of Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem.

Singing in the original German, the choir was joined by Jacqueline Porter (soprano) and Nathan Lay (baritone), accompanied by duo pianists.

Based on a set of texts Brahms chose from the Lutheran Bible, this magisterial and passionate work found a fitting setting in St Johns Lutheran Church in Southbank.