Innocence and Experience | Sydney Chamber Choir
Saturday 26 June, The Neilson, ACO Pier 2/3, Walsh Bay
What a treat to be able to hear a concert in an amazing new performance space, on a sunny, winter’s afternoon on the revamped Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay. The new space, created on an old pier, was a great way to get in the mood for a concert featuring music of old and new. Sydney Chamber Choir have been entertaining us since 1975 and today’s concert was a celebration of their expertise in Franco Flemish High Renaissance music, under the original conductor Nicholas Routley, partnered with new Australian commissions, with not only a world premiere, but many pieces having a rare second performance. And great to have several living composers in the audience today. Conductor Sam Allchurch reflected on the growth of this fine choir through the ranks of previous conductors, Routley, Paul Stanhope and Richard Gill with a ‘degustation’ of hits from the ensemble’s 47-year history. The title of the concert, from a William Blake poem, is significant, Allchurch thinks both Innocence and Experience are valuable.
With a slightly depleted choir and percussionists due to illness, the full sound of the SCC did not suffer. The new space is acoustically incredible, warm and clear, and with only around 250 seats. It is quite special to be so close to the music, hear each solo part clearly and also the flawless intonation and blending of this well-seasoned ensemble. The concert started gently with Brenda Gifford’s Minga Bagan (Mother Earth), a beautiful Welcome to Country, and reminder to care for our world. The concert continued with Josquin des Prez’s Ave Maria…virgo serena, with the SCC singing an old favourite regularly performed in their first 20 years. The beautiful melody passed around the choir in a display of precision and joy.
Jumping ahead 500 years, Stephen Adam’s memory pieces was another display of crisp rhythmic brilliance in the first movement to contrast the breathy harmonies of the prelude. And great mastery of memory to get through the spiky sections, where the poetry has no punctuation and rollicked at quite the pace. Wonderful to hear a commissioned piece again – although we were only allowed the first half of the piece. Back to the 1500s for the sombre Absalon, fili me by Pierre de la Rue about the death of King David’s son. The beautiful warm harmonies gave us calm respite after the madness of the Adams.
Next, a change in order due to our replacement instrumentalists and another commissioned piece from Australian composer Joe Twist from last year. Wonga Vine, from an Australian Song Cycle, resonated Twist’s return to South-East Queensland during the COVID pandemic, with sounds of the bush and the poetry of Judith Wright, and featured just the sopranos and altos of SCC and a lovely soprano solo from Megan Cronin. The waterfall section a particular highlight.
I will admit I am biased about the next composer’s talent, having worked with Ella Macens at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music during her time in the Composing Women’s program, but the talent speaks for itself. Today’s world premiere performance of When the World Closes its Eyes was nothing short of brilliant. Ella introduced the piece with thoughts on what she would tell her children about the world, how to be a community that supports each other during hard times. Ella’s music is often influenced by her Latvian heritage. She is a master of melody, influenced by Latvian folksongs, with the melodies stated and deconstructed, like the Renaissance masters. This piece may have caused a little something in my eye with its rousing tune, reflective of the surrogate Latvian national anthem with its finale hummed. Gorgeous solos from our three soloists and a great finish to the first half of this concert.
Part two featured more leaping between the old and new – with the three old favourites by Ockeghem, Brumel and Dufay, interspersed with new Australian music. The three older pieces showing off the choir’s skill in polyphony, intonation and control. My only comment was the Dufay being sung in the upper part of the new hall seemed a little far away after such closeness in the rest of the concert , but perhaps that was the artistic intent. The next two Australian works delved into the political arena with Dan Walker’s 2018 Yuya Karrabura (Fire is Burning) getting a repeat performance of the setting of Alice Eather’s dichotomous story of being part of two worlds and fighting for country. Walker is also a master of melody and expert in choral settings, this being one of the most powerful of his works, with the sound world not overpowering the text. SCC chorister and composer Josie Gibson’s Let Them All Come from 2018 also was granted a repeat performance, with inspiring poetry from First Dog on the Moon about the inhuman treatment of asylum seekers. A big sound after the sweetness of the Brumel miniature.
And a party piece to finish. Ross Edward’s Flower Songs, written in 1987 is still relevant today, although it was composed in a dingy basement and conceived in a spring forest, to quote Edwards. Edwards apologised to the choir as it is known as ‘difficult to perform’ particularly the first ‘crazy’ incantation – the SCC had no trouble in this performance. The two incantations were reversed for today’s performance with the ‘hazy’ opening setting the mood for the audience, before the fire cracker finish, reminiscent of the proceeding Dufay’s floral text and spiky counterpoint. The performance was flawless, (apart from the slight technical issue with the ‘organ’), and the percussionists were as exceptional as the choir. After so many botanicals, a gin and tonic in the excellent foyer and bar space of this new venue was in order to digest two hours of fine singing from the old and new.
