The Sydney Chamber Choir made a strong impression this past weekend, opening their Connections Concert at the Verbrugghen Hall with Surrexit Dominus by Nigel Butterly in a blend of satisfying harmonies. I was impressed by the choir’s precise, unified entries and crisp diction as Paul Stanhope conducted them, exemplifying the choir’s high standard.
It was encouraging to see that the choir has a wide age range, spanning from university students through to members of the original choir, as alumni stepped onto the stage to sing Long Road by Eriks Ešenvalds. I found that the additional mature voices contributed further richness to the choir’s sound in beautiful cohesion. As the song evolved, it felt as if I had been transported to an enchanted rainforest, with the choristers whistling like birdsong, and adding percussive elements like bells and chimes that enhanced the magic of the piece.
A piece that really stood out to me was Agnus Dei by Josquin des Prez, conducted by founding director Nicholas Routley. A sense of peace washed over the audience as the choir performed the beautiful descending passages with delicacy, the male voices offering warm sustained harmonies. Reading the program, I leaned that the Sydney Chamber Choir had performed this silky, serene work as a newly formed ensemble back in 1975, making this a lovely full-circle moment.
I was fascinated to hear the choir perform music spanning Baroque to Renaissance to modern day, especially the new work by emerging composer Aija Draguns, titled Dawn of Creation, with text from Thanksgiving to Australia by Yaegl Elder, Lenore Parker. This atmospheric piece utilised intriguing sound layering, with parts that added texture to the music, like whooshes simulating wind, or the sound of the didgeridoo sung by the male voices. I admired the Sydney Chamber Choir’s dynamic control throughout the piece, which eventually ended soothingly with hums and a solo singing the closing lyrics.
It is always exciting to hear new Australian works, so it was pleasing to learn that Sydney Chamber Choir proudly commissions works by both established and emerging Australian composers, and concluded this concert with a series of contemporary Australian pieces written between 2021 and 2025. It was wonderful to hear new works by Meta Cohen and Harry Sdraulig conducted enthusiastically by Sydney Chamber Choir’s Artistic Director Sam Allchurch. The dynamic concert ended with a performance of Sunrise on the Coast by Joseph Twist - the perfect piece to close with. The audience was enthralled as the choir sang with gentleness contrasted with intensity, along with a warm, bright sound that created musical magic.
I was delighted to hear the Sydney Chamber Choir perform, and I would highly recommend their upcoming concert for anyone wanting to experience the choir’s unique colour and expressive depth: Bach’s mass in B minor on Saturday the 22nd of November at 5pm at the City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place.
Playing at the Syndey Conservatorium of Music on September 28, 2025 at 3PM
https://www.sydneychamberchoir.org/
Photo Credit: Chalice Paiva
Reviewed by: Eleanor Edwards