HIDDEN DELIGHTS BENEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS

One of the (many) enjoyable aspects of preparing a new concert programme is the prospect of introducing our audiences to new music, including that of possibly lesser known composers. It’s a classic (pun intended) win-win scenario – the audience’s musical experience is widened and enriched, and the composer’s and lyricist’s potential fan-bases are enlarged. This season’s repertoire, Beneath the Southern Cross, is a delicious banquet of contemporary Australian music, across a broad spectrum of genres, some of which will be heard for the first time by many of Oriana’s followers, not to mention many of Oriana’s members themselves.

If you are at all familiar with the name Naomi Crellin, more than likely it will be because you are a fan of one of Australia’s premier a cappella groups, The Idea Of North. Naomi has sung alto with the group since 2002. To hear them performing in concert is a thrilling experience. But Naomi is also a highly accomplished composer, arranger, choral conductor and adjudicator, and Oriana is delighted to bring you Naomi’s smooth, dreamy, jazz-inflected arrangement of her own composition from 2015, “A Country Mile.”

Paul Jarman, while perhaps not so well known to the general populace, enjoys something approaching legendary status within choral circles. He has composed a huge number of works for choirs. He has been commissioned many, many times to prepare works for Australian ensembles, including Paul Holley’s own Voices of Birralee, who in fact commissioned “Towards Infinity”. This is a deeply moving tribute to adventurer Andrew McCauley, with lyrics by Phil Voysey. Also included in the programme for Beneath the Southern Cross are works from Paul’s song cycle “Turn On the Open Sea”.

Back in 2012, when Oriana performed its first overseas tour, a standout piece from that repertoire was Bruce Stewart’s “Kepler’s Dream”. This marvellous, history-evoking work was performed a cappella on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. For those choir members who were part of that tour, it is quite a treat to have the opportunity to re-visit this unique piece.

A number of years ago, Oriana had the pleasure of working with composer and conductor Gordon Hamilton, when he conducted the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, with the Oriana Choir, in a hugely popular performance of Handel’s Messiah. One of the ‘hidden delights’ of Beneath the Southern Cross is Gordon’s “Tiny Movements”, an exquisite, exciting, multi-voiced celebration of life, in all its diversity and complexity.

These are just a few of the dishes included in the feast coming your way, when Oriana presents Beneath the Southern Cross on:

Sunday, August 13, 2.00 pm – Trinity Centre, St. Rita’s College, Clayfield and

Sunday, August 20, 2.00 pm – Stella Maris School Hall, Maroochydore.

For bookings and information, visit www.oriana.org.au