We’ve just been to the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House to see the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Christmas concert, AN ENGLISH CHRISTMAS.
On stage, though the evening, was the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, supported by the Syndey Philharmonia Chamber Singers, the Symphony Chorus, the Youth Choir VOX and the Festival Choruses. Three conductors were in charge, mainly Music Director Brett Weymark, along with Elizabeth Scott, a highly respected music educator who leads VOX, and Anthony Pasquill, a young up-coming conductor.
The show featured three soloists, highly respected Australian tenor Andrew Goodwin, who is now based in Russia with a flourishing career, and two recent graduates from the Sydney Conservatorium Opera course, 24 year old soprano Amy Corkery and 22 year old Sydney Baritone Alexander Knight.
It was a night of wonderful choral music in the English tradition. The first half of the program featured works from William Byrd through to John Rutter,including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Gustav Holst’s Four Old English Carols.
As a prelude to the Britten Centenary in 2013, the second half of the program features Andrew Goodwin, and three Children from the Sydney Childrens’ Choir performing Britten’s ‘ST NICOLAS’. The libretto is based on the life of Saint Nicolas. A cantata for tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra composed in 1948, the composition is described by Weymark as a ‘a whimsical romp complete with pianos, string orchestra, witty percussion writing, grand organ, choirs in the galleries,tenor soloist, treble soloists and even a touch of congregational singing’.
The audience was asked to contribute to a chorus section in ‘ST NICOLAS’, ‘ALL PEOPLE THAT ON EARTH DO DWELL’, and rose to a person, creating a beautiful hall of sound.
Not so far away, in 2020 , the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs turn 100. They continue to brightly live up to their motto/their raison d’etre, ‘to champion the soul stirring power of the human voice and to enrich the lives of performers and the wider community through compelling and passionate performances of choral music’.
We came out of the Opera House and onto the busy Saturday night Circular Quay promenade refreshed and reinvigorated..almost bursting into song. What a great night!
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs ‘AN ENGLISH CHRISTMAS’ played for two performances on Saturday 8th December at 7pm and Sunday 9th December at 2pm at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.
(c) David Kary
9th December, 2012
Tags: Sydney Stage Reviews- AN ENGLISH CHRISTMAS, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Concert Sydney Opera House, Brett Weymark