Camerata and Lior | Compassion
Friday Sept 2, 2022, QPAC
Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra presented their Compassion concert in collaboration with singer-songwriter Lior Attar on Friday night at QPAC. After two years of cancellations due to covid, it was great to finally experience it.
Presented as part of Brisbane Festival, Compassion was not your average classical concert.
It skipped straight past Mozart and instead presented unique, contemporary works by Australian composers.
The concert began with Camerata performing Robert Davidson’s From. To. Here. This piece was commissioned by Queensland Ballet for their Bespoke series last year. It explores migration, movement, and belonging. This was the first time it had been presented as a concert piece, without the ballet. Even on its own, it was still moving. It was made more special by having Robert was in the audience.
Then Camerata was joined onstage by Lior. They performed orchestral arrangements of some of his most popular songs including Grey Ocean, Daniel, Bedouin Song, and This Old Love. Lior’s gentle voice and guitar melded with the strings.
We went out for the interval with his words in our heads.
Blending ancient Jewish and Islamic poetry with contemporary chamber music, Compassion created a rich and layered soundscape. Written by Lior and Nigel Westlake, this 7-part song-cycle explores humanity and what it means to have compassion. It was partly inspired by Lior’s heritage and travels in the Middle East. Across the six movements, it shifted between many languages, colours and moods. Lior was fully immersed in the music, pouring all his heart and soul into singing.
Compassion was well-received, with the audience giving a full standing ovation. Lior and Camerata presented the final song in English, bringing us back home. In all, it was a thought-provoking and engaging concert that explored universal themes of migration, love and compassion in a new light.
Camerata & Lior: Compassion is also on Friday 9 September at Empire Theatre, Toowoomba, and Saturday 10 September at HOTA, Gold Coast.
