ONE OF ORIANA’S OWN TO BE FEATURED SOLOIST IN REQUIEM

Elisabeth Wallis Gaedtke has one of the loveliest soprano voices you’ve never heard of. This Caloundra-based high school teacher and mother of three is also a conservatorium trained singer and musician, blessed with a voice of such richness and versatility that she can touch your heart, and thrill your soul, in just about any genre, be it opera, rock, country, world music or jazz.

The Sunshine Coast’s Oriana Choir, of which Elisabeth is a long-standing member, will present Mozart’s Requiem in May, at the Events Centre, Caloundra, and St. John’s Cathedral, Brisbane. Elisabeth will be the featured soprano soloist, along with alto Anne Fulton, tenor Philip Prendergast, and bass Shaun Brown.

As a member of Oriana, Elisabeth has indeed performed in many musical styles over the years. She has featured as a soloist in works as varied as Handel’s Messiah, Toto’s Africa, The Manhattan Transfer’s Birdland, Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, and music by the Gershwins, opera and operetta arias. And she has always been a solid, dependable member of Oriana’s soprano section.

Whatever she sings, Elisabeth’s face always communicates the joy she experiences from the music and the performance. It’s a cliché, but she really does ‘make it all look easy’. It’s not, of course. To achieve such a level of virtuosic singing takes years of hard work and application. But to hear and watch her sing is a very easy, joyous experience.

Elisabeth’s participation is sure to enhance your enjoyment of Mozart’s Requiem. This much-loved and revered classic choral and orchestral work is indeed a joyful experience for all of Oriana’s choristers. And Elisabeth’s solo contributions will be most ably complemented by the other featured performers.

Anne Fulton is no stranger to Oriana, having sung in the acclaimed 2019 presentation of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. She is an honours graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium; she has performed as a soloist with Opera Queensland; and she has recently performed in Canticum Chamber Choir’s presentation of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

Featured tenor Philip Prendergast, another alumnus of the Queensland Conservatorium, sang the tenor solo role in Elijah. As a chorister for Opera Queensland, Philip has sung in Aida, Tosca, Macbeth, The Mikado, Cinderella, La Boheme and Peter Grimes.

Bassist Shaun Brown sang in Oriana’s first performance of Mozart’s Mass In C minor. He holds a doctorate in music, and is Director of Performance at the University of Queensland’s School of Music. He has performed widely in opera and choral music throughout Australasia, the United States and Europe.

Oriana’s concert for Mozart’s Requiem will also include Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo's stunning and beautiful work, Sunrise Mass, which puts elements of the traditional Mass format into a modern musical setting. This is a wonderful piece of music which really showcases the choir’s distinctive vocal blend and a cappella excellence.

Performances of the Requiem and Sunrise Mass will be at:

The Events Centre, Caloundra, Saturday, May 15th at 7.00 pm. Book your tickets at the venue or phone 54914240.

St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane, Sunday May 16th at 1.30 pm. Book your tickets at trybooking.com.