Oriana Returns To Maleny

On Sunday, April 23rd, at 2.00 pm, Oriana Choir will take the stage at Maleny Community Centre, to perform a concert of works by two composers separated by time and geography, but not by their respective abilities to conceive and create beautiful, uplifting music. We are privileged, and delighted, to be able to perform for you Mozart’s Vesperae Solonne de Confessore (Solemn Vespers for a Confessor, or simply ‘Vespers’); and a selection of choral works by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged (as Jane Austen would no doubt declare), that Mozart is one of the greatest, if not the greatest composer in the Western canon of classical music. Among his many achievements is an impressive body of works composed for choirs – works which have become widely known and loved, such as his sublime Requiem and his towering Mass in C minor. The Vespers is one such work. It comprises of six movements, each with its own mood and character, including the Laudate Dominum which, with its haunting soprano solo is one of the most sublimely beautiful pieces of music you could ever hope to experience. The intricacy of the whole work, the melodic inventiveness and the interweaving of the different voice parts make the Vespers a delight to listen to.

Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yaylo) is a young (born 1978) composer from Norway, who now works and lives in the U.S. Although he has only been working as a composer for a relatively short time, he has produced an impressive body of work, and he has become one of the most frequently performed composers in the world of choral music. His music has an unmistakably Scandinavian character to it. It is often spacious, occasionally mystical, and always beautiful. Some of the pieces being presented in this concert move in a very emotional way. Oriana’s choristers love singing them, and you are sure to be moved by them. One in particular, The Ground, is especially dear to many of our members, having been a highlight of our 2016 concert tour to Central Europe.

Although Mozart and Gjeilo are separated by time, space and cultural environments, their musical creations are surprisingly compatible. They are both beautiful, melodic, uplifting and highly listenable.

It has been ten years since Oriana first performed at Maleny Community Centre, and we are delighted to be back. M.C.C. is an integral part of Maleny’s cultural life. It has been the venue for countless wonderful concerts, shows, recitals and much more over many years, and it’s a privilege to be able to perform there this coming weekend. With accompaniment by the brilliant Fay Baker OAM, and the sweet strings of the Serenity Quartet, and conducted by the highly accomplished Kim Kirkman, ‘a splendid time is guaranteed for all.’

If you can’t make it to Maleny this Sunday, don’t despair. You can see this lovely concert on Saturday April 29th, at 2.00 pm at St. John’s Cathedral Brisbane, or on Sunday April 30th, at 2.00 pm at Stella Maris School Hall, Maroochydore.

For information and bookings, please visit our website, www.oriana.org.au.