Oriana to present beloved Christmas tradition

We are excited to be preparing a magical treat for Sunshine Coast concert-goers. The December 4 event, to be performed at the Lake Kawana Centre at 3:00 pm, will present Handel’s beloved, ‘Messiah’, as the perfect opener to 2011 Christmas celebrations.

Performances of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ will be taking place all around the world during the festive season and many people make an annual pilgrimage to see the work. Composed in just three weeks, ‘Messiah’ has been delighting audiences for over 250 years. It is as mesmerising today as it was when, moved by the awe-inspiring ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, King George II stood to his feet, thus starting a tradition that has continued to this day.

Messiah is an incredibly exuberant, moving and powerful work and we're working really hard to bring something joyful and fresh to this performance.

Soloists joining us this year are soprano Elisabeth Wallis Gaedtke, contralto Cassandra Seidemann, tenor Martin Paroz and bass Sam Hartley. Cassandra and Sam, both from Brisbane, are familiar to our audiences having sung with Oriana on several occasions now, always to great acclaim. Ms Wallis Gaedtke is also Oriana’s Youth Choir conductor and a popular performer at many of Oriana’s concerts. A new face to Oriana audiences, but certainly no stranger to the stage is Martin Paroz. A regular with Opera Queensland, Martin is also the Conductor of the Toowoomba Choral Society.

Oriana will be accompanied by a Chamber Orchestra ensemble comprising some of Queensland’s most talented musicians, led by violinist, Neridah Oostenbroek.

Bookings for the December 4 performance are available by phoning 5450 1049 and tickets should also be available at the door of the Lake Kawana Centre concert which will commence at 3:00pm. Group discounts are available.