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Gesualdo Tenebrae
"There is something deeply troubling and inscrutable in Gesualdo’s music, something that any listener will unfailingly experience. This most particularly holds for Tenebrae responsoria (1611), his definitive statement, his monument, his testament. It is as if this work would constantly extend over its boundaries and transgress its time and setting, immediately addressing modernity...”
Mladen Dolar, Out of Joint (2020)
More than 400 years later, the music of Carlo Gesualdo still seems strikingly avant-garde. Composed for his own private use during his final years, and likely unheard during his lifetime, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories are of unmatched intensity. This is music at the end of an epoch; at once steeped in and a radically unsettling subversion of the traditions of the sixteenth century.
The first set of Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria V) evoke Christ’s abandonment, betrayal, and death. Gesualdo’s dramatic settings reflect the angst of the passion story, alongside his own bloody encounter with death – in 1590 he murdered his wife Maria d’Avalos and her lover Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, when he discovered them ‘in flagrante delicto’. Gesualdo’s punishment was as self-inflicted as the crime. His status as prince saved him from criminal persecution; instead he saw out his days living as a recluse, tormented by grief and guilt.
Translating literally to ‘darkness’, the plural form of ‘Tenebrae’ is fitting; it implies a multiplicity, all-encompassing shadows; a plunge into darknesses of both deeply personal grief and of universal sorrow.
Programme:
Carlo Gesualdo, Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (1611)
Feria quinta (Maundy Thursday)
In monte Oliveti
Tristis est anima mea
Ecce vidimus eum
Amicus meus osculi
Judas mercator pessimus
Unus ex discipulis meis
Eran quasi agnus innocens
Una hora non potuistis
Seniores populi consilium
Miserere mei, Deus
1 hour no interval
Gesualdo Tenebrae
"There is something deeply troubling and inscrutable in Gesualdo’s music, something that any listener will unfailingly experience. This most particularly holds for Tenebrae responsoria (1611), his definitive statement, his monument, his testament. It is as if this work would constantly extend over its boundaries and transgress its time and setting, immediately addressing modernity….”
Mladen Dolar, Out of Joint (2020)
More than 400 years later, the music of Carlo Gesualdo still seems strikingly avant-garde. Composed for his own private use during his final years, and likely unheard during his lifetime, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories are of unmatched intensity. This is music at the end of an epoch; at once steeped in and a radically unsettling subversion of the traditions of the sixteenth century.
The first set of Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria V) evoke Christ’s abandonment, betrayal, and death. Gesualdo’s dramatic settings reflect the angst of the passion story, alongside his own bloody encounter with death – in 1590 he murdered his wife Maria d’Avalos and her lover Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, when he discovered them ‘in fragrante dilicto, di flagrante peccato’. Gesualdo’s punishment was as self-inflicted as the crime. His status as prince saved him from criminal persecution; instead he saw out his days living as a recluse, tormented by grief and guilt.
Translating literally to ‘darkness’, the plural form of ‘Tenebrae’ is fitting; it implies a multiplicity, all-encompassing shadows; a plunge into darknesses of both deeply personal grief and of universal sorrow.
Programme:
Carlo Gesualdo, Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (1611)
Feria quinta (Maundy Thursday)
In monte Oliveti
Tristis est anima mea
Ecce vidimus eum
Amicus meus osculi
Judas mercator pessimus
Unus ex discipulis meis
Eran quasi agnus innocens
Una hora non potuistis
Seniores populi consilium
Miserere mei, Deus
1 hour no interval
Gesualdo Tenebrae
"There is something deeply troubling and inscrutable in Gesualdo’s music, something that any listener will unfailingly experience. This most particularly holds for Tenebrae responsoria (1611), his definitive statement, his monument, his testament. It is as if this work would constantly extend over its boundaries and transgress its time and setting, immediately addressing modernity...”
Mladen Dolar, Out of Joint (2020)
More than 400 years later, the music of Carlo Gesualdo still seems strikingly avant-garde. Composed for his own private use during his final years, and likely unheard during his lifetime, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories are of unmatched intensity. This is music at the end of an epoch; at once steeped in and a radically unsettling subversion of the traditions of the sixteenth century.
The first set of Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria V) evoke Christ’s abandonment, betrayal, and death. Gesualdo’s dramatic settings reflect the angst of the passion story, alongside his own bloody encounter with death – in 1590 he murdered his wife Maria d’Avalos and her lover Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, when he discovered them ‘in flagrante delicto’. Gesualdo’s punishment was as self-inflicted as the crime. His status as prince saved him from criminal persecution; instead he saw out his days living as a recluse, tormented by grief and guilt.
Translating literally to ‘darkness’, the plural form of ‘Tenebrae’ is fitting; it implies a multiplicity, all-encompassing shadows; a plunge into darknesses of both deeply personal grief and of universal sorrow.
Programme:
Carlo Gesualdo, Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (1611)
Feria quinta (Maundy Thursday)
In monte Oliveti
Tristis est anima mea
Ecce vidimus eum
Amicus meus osculi
Judas mercator pessimus
Unus ex discipulis meis
Eran quasi agnus innocens
Una hora non potuistis
Seniores populi consilium
Miserere mei, Deus
1 hour no interval
Gesualdo Tenebrae
"There is something deeply troubling and inscrutable in Gesualdo’s music, something that any listener will unfailingly experience. This most particularly holds for Tenebrae responsoria (1611), his definitive statement, his monument, his testament. It is as if this work would constantly extend over its boundaries and transgress its time and setting, immediately addressing modernity…”
Mladen Dolar, Out of Joint (2020)
More than 400 years later, the music of Carlo Gesualdo still seems strikingly avant-garde. Composed for his own private use during his final years, and likely unheard during his lifetime, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories are of unmatched intensity. This is music at the end of an epoch; at once steeped in and a radically unsettling subversion of the traditions of the sixteenth century.
The first set of Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria V) evoke Christ’s abandonment, betrayal, and death. Gesualdo’s dramatic settings reflect the angst of the passion story, alongside his own bloody encounter with death – in 1590 he murdered his wife Maria d’Avalos and her lover Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, when he discovered them ‘in flagrante delicto’. Gesualdo’s punishment was as self-inflicted as the crime. His status as prince saved him from criminal persecution; instead he saw out his days living as a recluse, tormented by grief and guilt.
Translating literally to ‘darkness’, the plural form of ‘Tenebrae’ is fitting; it implies a multiplicity, all-encompassing shadows; a plunge into darknesses of both deeply personal grief and of universal sorrow.
Programme:
Carlo Gesualdo, Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (1611)
Feria quinta (Maundy Thursday)
In monte Oliveti
Tristis est anima mea
Ecce vidimus eum
Amicus meus osculi
Judas mercator pessimus
Unus ex discipulis meis
Eran quasi agnus innocens
Una hora non potuistis
Seniores populi consilium
Miserere mei, Deus
1 hour no interval
Gesualdo Tenebrae
"There is something deeply troubling and inscrutable in Gesualdo’s music, something that any listener will unfailingly experience. This most particularly holds for Tenebrae responsoria (1611), his definitive statement, his monument, his testament. It is as if this work would constantly extend over its boundaries and transgress its time and setting, immediately addressing modernity…”
Mladen Dolar, Out of Joint (2020)
More than 400 years later, the music of Carlo Gesualdo still seems strikingly avant-garde. Composed for his own private use during his final years, and likely unheard during his lifetime, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories are of unmatched intensity. This is music at the end of an epoch; at once steeped in and a radically unsettling subversion of the traditions of the sixteenth century.
The first set of Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria V) evoke Christ’s abandonment, betrayal, and death. Gesualdo’s dramatic settings reflect the angst of the passion story, alongside his own bloody encounter with death – in 1590 he murdered his wife Maria d’Avalos and her lover Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, when he discovered them “in flagrante delicto’’. Gesualdo’s punishment was as self-inflicted as the crime. His status as prince saved him from criminal persecution; instead he saw out his days living as a recluse, tormented by grief and guilt.
Translating literally to ‘darkness’, the plural form of ‘Tenebrae’ is fitting; it implies a multiplicity, all-encompassing shadows; a plunge into darknesses of both deeply personal grief and of universal sorrow.
Tickets on sale from December 12.
Programme:
Carlo Gesualdo, Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (1611)
Feria quinta (Maundy Thursday)
In monte Oliveti
Tristis est anima mea
Ecce vidimus eum
Amicus meus osculi
Judas mercator pessimus
Unus ex discipulis meis
Eran quasi agnus innocens
Una hora non potuistis
Seniores populi consilium
Miserere mei, Deus
1 hour no interval
10th Birthday Gala
Luminescence celebrates our first decade!
Join Luminescence Chamber Singers and Luminescence Children’s Choir as we reflect on 10 years in the making, and look toward building the next chapter. This fundraising gala features performances by Luminescence Children’s Choir and Luminescence Chamber Singers, including the premiere of a new work by Elena Katz-Chernin, commissioned in celebration of this milestone.
Tickets will be available in February 2025.
Holiday Program: Of Mice and Mozart
Luminescence Children’s Choir Holiday Program is a week-long workshop for young people aged 7–12 who love to sing. There is no application or audition requirement for our holiday programs – all young singers are welcome!
Led by singer and artistic director AJ America alongside members of the Luminescence Children’s Choir, the Luminescence Holiday Program invites young singers to explore their voices and the magic of singing together. Participants learn new songs, and discover music through games and play. We will also hear from a number of guest artists, including members of the Luminescence Chamber Singers.
The Luminescence Children’s Choir Holiday Program will culminate with a performance of Jill and Michael Gallina’s Of Mice and Mozart.
Garden of Earthly Delights
A garden teeming with temptation and desire, grotesque creatures and improbable scenes of surrender: the uninhibited world of Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych “De tuin der lusten”. Baffling his Dutch contemporaries and the casual tourists in Madrid’s Prado in equal measure (not to mention generations of art critics) the Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is ever-enigmatic. Whether it is interpreted as a surreal feast for the senses or as a stark warning about the moral decay during a time of rapid change, this art exudes dread and seduction in equal measure.
Trust Luminescence Chamber Singers to turn this surreal feast of the senses into an aural tapestry as pleasurable and perilous as Bosch’s vision. Drawn from the vaults of Renaissance raunch, Medieval monasterian excess and daring modern transgressions, Garden of Earthly Delights offers a vocal cornucopia of surprise and surreptitiously cheeky delight, probing the pleasures and perils of excess.
Program to include music by Josquin, Banchieri, Gallus and new works by Nicole Murphy and Archie Tulk.
1 hour no interval, conducted by Roland Peelman AM
Presented by South Coast Music Society.
Tickets on sale from December 2024.
Garden of Earthly Delights
A garden teeming with temptation and desire, grotesque creatures and improbable scenes of surrender: the uninhibited world of Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych “De tuin der lusten”. Baffling his Dutch contemporaries and the casual tourists in Madrid’s Prado in equal measure (not to mention generations of art critics) the Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is ever-enigmatic. Whether it is interpreted as a surreal feast for the senses or as a stark warning about the moral decay during a time of rapid change, this art exudes dread and seduction in equal measure.
Trust Luminescence Chamber Singers to turn this surreal feast of the senses into an aural tapestry as pleasurable and perilous as Bosch’s vision. Drawn from the vaults of Renaissance raunch, Medieval monasterian excess and daring modern transgressions, Garden of Earthly Delights offers a vocal cornucopia of surprise and surreptitiously cheeky delight, probing the pleasures and perils of excess.
Program to include music by Josquin, Banchieri, Gallus and new works by Nicole Murphy and Archie Tulk.
1 hour no interval, conducted by Roland Peelman AM
Presented by Arts in the Valley.
Garden of Earthly Delights
A garden teeming with temptation and desire, grotesque creatures and improbable scenes of surrender: the uninhibited world of Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych “De tuin der lusten”. Baffling his Dutch contemporaries and the casual tourists in Madrid’s Prado in equal measure (not to mention generations of art critics) the Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is ever-enigmatic. Whether it is interpreted as a surreal feast for the senses or as a stark warning about the moral decay during a time of rapid change, this art exudes dread and seduction in equal measure.
Trust Luminescence Chamber Singers to turn this surreal feast of the senses into an aural tapestry as pleasurable and perilous as Bosch’s vision. Drawn from the vaults of Renaissance raunch, Medieval monasterian excess and daring modern transgressions, Garden of Earthly Delights offers a vocal cornucopia of surprise and surreptitiously cheeky delight, probing the pleasures and perils of excess.
Program to include music by Josquin, Banchieri, Gallus and new works by Nicole Murphy and Archie Tulk.
1 hour no interval, conducted by Roland Peelman AM
Garden of Earthly Delights
A garden teeming with temptation and desire, grotesque creatures and improbable scenes of surrender: the uninhibited world of Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych “De tuin der lusten”. Baffling his Dutch contemporaries and the casual tourists in Madrid’s Prado in equal measure (not to mention generations of art critics) the Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is ever-enigmatic. Whether it is interpreted as a surreal feast for the senses or as a stark warning about the moral decay during a time of rapid change, this art exudes dread and seduction in equal measure.
Trust Luminescence Chamber Singers to turn this surreal feast of the senses into an aural tapestry as pleasurable and perilous as Bosch’s vision. Drawn from the vaults of Renaissance raunch, Medieval monasterian excess and daring modern transgressions, Garden of Earthly Delights offers a vocal cornucopia of surprise and surreptitiously cheeky delight, probing the pleasures and perils of excess.
Program to include music by Josquin, Banchieri, Gallus and new works by Nicole Murphy and Archie Tulk.
1 hour no interval, conducted by Roland Peelman AM
Tickets available from December 12
Garden of Earthly Delights
A garden teeming with temptation and desire, grotesque creatures and improbable scenes of surrender: the uninhibited world of Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych “De tuin der lusten”. Baffling his Dutch contemporaries and the casual tourists in Madrid’s Prado in equal measure (not to mention generations of art critics) the Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is ever-enigmatic. Whether it is interpreted as a surreal feast for the senses or as a stark warning about the moral decay during a time of rapid change, this art exudes dread and seduction in equal measure.
Trust Luminescence Chamber Singers to turn this surreal feast of the senses into an aural tapestry as pleasurable and perilous as Bosch’s vision. Drawn from the vaults of Renaissance raunch, Medieval monasterian excess and daring modern transgressions, Garden of Earthly Delights offers a vocal cornucopia of surprise and surreptitiously cheeky delight, probing the pleasures and perils of excess.
Program to include music by Josquin, Banchieri, Gallus and new works by Nicole Murphy and Archie Tulk.
1 hour no interval, conducted by Roland Peelman AM
Tickets available from March 2025
Garden of Earthly Delights
A garden teeming with temptation and desire, grotesque creatures and improbable scenes of surrender: the uninhibited world of Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old triptych “De tuin der lusten”. Baffling his Dutch contemporaries and the casual tourists in Madrid’s Prado in equal measure (not to mention generations of art critics) the Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is ever-enigmatic. Whether it is interpreted as a surreal feast for the senses or as a stark warning about the moral decay during a time of rapid change, this art exudes dread and seduction in equal measure.
Trust Luminescence Chamber Singers to turn this surreal feast of the senses into an aural tapestry as pleasurable and perilous as Bosch’s vision. Drawn from the vaults of Renaissance raunch, Medieval monasterian excess and daring modern transgressions, Garden of Earthly Delights offers a vocal cornucopia of surprise and surreptitiously cheeky delight, probing the pleasures and perils of excess.
Program to include music by Josquin, Banchieri, Gallus and new works by Nicole Murphy and Archie Tulk.
1 hour no interval, conducted by Roland Peelman AM
Red Dirt Hymns
A hymnal to the country under our feet.
A living songbook more than four years in the making, Andrew Ford’s hymnal brings together the words of sixteen contemporary Australian writers – poets, essayists, and folksingers. Born in a time of fire and darkness, grief, and loss, and then fragile, tender hope, Red Dirt Hymns are songs of awe and praise, dedicated not to a god, but to the land.
Red Dirt Hymns is performed by the ever-daring voices of Luminescence Chamber Singers alongside with singers from the Orange Regional Conservatorium, and two rising stars: Hilary Geddes (electric guitar), 2021 Freedman Jazz Fellow and lead guitarist of Triple J favourites The Buoys, and category-defying cellist Freya Schack-Arnott. Songs that span art music, folk song, country ballad, and Aussie rock, unfold to the evocative imagery of Sammy Hawker, whose art is created within the fabric of country itself: saltwater, limestone and eucalypt.
From Ellen van Neerven’s dark clouds to John Kinsella’s abundant gardens, Red Dirt Hymns does what a hymnal is meant to do: it draws us closer – to each other, and to the light and shade of our wide brown land.
Presented in partnership with Orange Civic Theatre and the Orange Regional Conservatorium.
For detailed information about Red Dirt Hymns please visit: https://www.luminescence.org.au/reddirt
Red Dirt Hymns
A hymnal to the country under our feet.
A living songbook more than four years in the making, Andrew Ford’s hymnal brings together the words of sixteen contemporary Australian writers – poets, essayists, and folksingers. Born in a time of fire and darkness, grief, and loss, and then fragile, tender hope, Red Dirt Hymns are songs of awe and praise, dedicated not to a god, but to the land.
Red Dirt Hymns is performed by the ever-daring voices of Luminescence Chamber Singers alongside with singers from Moss Vale High School, and two rising stars: Hilary Geddes (electric guitar), 2021 Freedman Jazz Fellow and lead guitarist of Triple J favourites The Buoys, and category-defying cellist Freya Schack-Arnott. Songs that span art music, folk song, country ballad, and Aussie rock, unfold to the evocative imagery of Sammy Hawker, whose art is created within the fabric of country itself: saltwater, limestone and eucalypt.
From Ellen van Neerven’s dark clouds to John Kinsella’s abundant gardens, Red Dirt Hymns does what a hymnal is meant to do: it draws us closer – to each other, and to the light and shade of our wide brown land.
For detailed information about Red Dirt Hymns please visit: https://www.luminescence.org.au/reddirt
A Luminous Christmas
Details and tickets for A Luminous Christmas to be announced during 2025. For information and tickets for A Luminous Christmas 2024, please follow this link.
Christmas Classics
An evening of uplifting Christmas music from around the world. From Medieval carols to classic Yuletide songs and traditional Nativity hymns, this concert features the sublime sounds of Luminescence Chamber Singers with internationally acclaimed organ virtuoso Thomas Heywood, and the angelic strains of Luminescence Children’s Choir, bundled into one heavenly hour. Directed by Roland Peelman.
70 minutes, no interval.
Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.
ARTISTS
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Luminescence Children’s Choir
Thomas Heywood, organ
Roland Peelman AM
PROGRAMME
Once in Royal David’s City H.J. Gauntlett, arr. David Willcocks
Kindelwiegen (Vom Himmel Hoch) Traditional German, Arr. A.V. Othegraven
Noël Nouvelet Traditional French Carol, arr. Stephen Jackson
Coventry Carol Traditional
Rui Rui Chiu Ascribed to Mateo Flecha the Elder (1481 - 1553)
Corpus Christi Benjamin Britten (from A Boy Is Born, 1933) arr. Ruth McCall
Joseph and Mary (Cherry Tree Carol) Kentucky, arr. Roland Peelman
Before the Paling of The Stars Cecilia McDowell (2012)
Carol of the Birds W. James & J. Wheeler, arr. Roland Peelman
The Christmas Card [WP] Deborah Cheetam, arr. Dan Walker
A Child Is Born Roland Hanna/Thad Jones, arr. Roland Peelman
We Three Kings John Henry Hopkins, arr. Roland Peelman
Sleeping Child Bob Chilcott
O Little Town of Bethlehem Traditional English, arranged by David Willcocks
Hark The Herald Angels Sing F Mendelssohn, Arr. David Willcocks
O Come All Ye Faithful J.F. Wade Arr. David Willcocks
Stille Nacht Franz Xaver Gruber
Ave MARIAH!
From Mariah Carey to Wham, Luminescence’s own Rachel Mink brings her high-powered vocals and a uniquely entertaining twist to this Christmas classics-turned-cabaret. After the musical feast, loosen up your paper hat and let your hair down as Luminescence indulges in Christmas at its trashy, tinselled best.
Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Smith's Alternative. This event is restricted to 18+.
Please note that doors will open at 9.30pm for a 9.40pm performance.
1 hour no interval.
ARTISTS
Rachel Mink, voice
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Alex Raupach, trumpet and musical director
Tom Fell, saxophone
Chris Pound, bass/guitar
Eli Adisa, drums
I Sing The Birth
A world premiere that rings out around the globe! Commissioned by Luminescence Children’s Choir together with choirs in Perth, Estonia, and Belgium, Andrew Ford’s new Christmas cycle is one for our time. Accompanied by Melbourne sensation Theo Carbo (electric guitar), this major new work aims to bring joy to all the children singing it for the first time this year, and all the children who will Sing The Birth in years to come.
Co-commissioned in collaboration with the Flanders Boys Choir, Estonian Girls’ TV and Radio Choir, and the Schola Cantorum of St Aquinas College. Supported by Helen Moore AM, and the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund 2023.
Performed concurrently in Canberra, Perth, Antwerp, and Tallin, this December 2024.
1 hour, no interval
Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.
ARTISTS
Luminescence Children’s Choir, directed by AJ America
Theo Carbo, electric guitar
Dan Walker, tenor
Lucien Fischer, baritone
Michelle Ryan, soprano
Thomas Heywood, organ
Roland Peelman AM, percussion
Valdas Cameron, percussion
PROGRAMME
Arvo Pärt Sarah Was 90 Years Old (1976)
Andrew Ford I Sing The Birth (2004) [World Premiere]
Thomas Heywood: A Christmas Fantasia
Experience the brilliance of Australia’s most acclaimed concert organist, Thomas Heywood, in an exclusive recital for A Luminous Christmas. Performing festive gems of the organ repertoire, this is a rare and unmissable opportunity to hear a master of this mighty instrument.
60 minutes, no interval.
Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.
ARTISTS
Thomas Heywood, organ
PROGRAMME
Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Fiat lux [Let there be light] from 12 Pièces Nouvelles pour Orgue [1893]
Two pieces by Théodore Dubois (1837-1924) from 12 Pièces pour Orgue [1886]
Marche des Rois Mages [‘March of the Magi Kings’], No. 9
Grand Choeur [in B-flat major], No. 12
Alan Gray (1855-1935)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), transcribed by Edward John Hopkins (1818-1901)
Pastorale from Concerto Grosso – ‘Christmas Concerto’, Op. 6 No. 8
Eugène Gigout (1844-1925)
Rhapsodie sur des Noels from Dix Piéces [10 Pieces for Organ] (1892)
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), trans. Dr Frederick Hohman (b.1955)
Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a No. 3
Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Sortie (Grand Choeur) [in E major] from 10 Pièces pour Grand Orgue [1921]
John Ebenezer West (1863-1929)
Fantasy on Two well-known Christmas Carols
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Chorale Prelude on In dulci jubilo, BWV 729
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
Choral-Improvisation on In dulci jubilo, Op. 75 No. 2
Christmas Classics
An evening of uplifting Christmas music from around the world. From Medieval carols to classic Yuletide songs and traditional Nativity hymns, this concert features the sublime sounds of Luminescence Chamber Singers with internationally acclaimed organ virtuoso Thomas Heywood, and the angelic strains of Luminescence Children’s Choir, bundled into one heavenly hour. Directed by Roland Peelman.
70 minutes, no interval.
Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.
ARTISTS
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Luminescence Children’s Choir
Thomas Heywood, organ
Roland Peelman AM
PROGRAMME
Once in Royal David’s City H.J. Gauntlett, arr. David Willcocks
Kindelwiegen (Vom Himmel Hoch) Traditional German, Arr. A.V. Othegraven
Noël Nouvelet Traditional French Carol, arr. Stephen Jackson
Coventry Carol Traditional
Rui Rui Chiu Ascribed to Mateo Flecha the Elder (1481 - 1553)
Corpus Christi Benjamin Britten (from A Boy Is Born, 1933) arr. Ruth McCall
Joseph and Mary (Cherry Tree Carol) Kentucky, arr. Roland Peelman
Before the Paling of The Stars Cecilia McDowell (2012)
Carol of the Birds W. James & J. Wheeler, arr. Roland Peelman
The Christmas Card [WP] Deborah Cheetam, arr. Dan Walker
A Child Is Born Roland Hanna/Thad Jones, arr. Roland Peelman
We Three Kings John Henry Hopkins, arr. Roland Peelman
Sleeping Child Bob Chilcott
O Little Town of Bethlehem Traditional English, arranged by David Willcocks
Hark The Herald Angels Sing F Mendelssohn, Arr. David Willcocks
O Come All Ye Faithful J.F. Wade Arr. David Willcocks
Stille Nacht Franz Xaver Gruber
The Dunera Mass
In 1940, refugees from Nazi persecution who had fled to Britain were suddenly classified as enemy aliens, transported to Australia on the ship Dunera, and held in camps in Hay and Orange, NSW, and in Tatura, Victoria. In their attempts to re-create traces of their former lives, internees ran a remarkable range of activities inside the camps, from art classes to university-style lectures and theatrical performances. As a result, they produced an extraordinary array of personal art and artefacts, from beautiful portraits and landscapes to pop-up paper models and even an unofficial camp currency. The Library has spent many years compiling collections that piece together this little-known chapter in Australian history and now holds one of largest Dunera collections in the world.
The Dunera Mass is a dramatised concert, telling the story of these refugees using the recently rediscovered music manuscripts of Dunera composer Max-Peter Meyer, with projections of artworks created by fellow Dunera refugees to illuminate the story.
Writer-researcher-narrator: Dr Nicole Forsyth
Performers:
Luminescence Chamber Singers
The Oriana Chorale
Roland Peelman AM
Dr Anna McMichael (violin)
Nicole Forsyth (viola)
Stephanie Li (cello)
Jem Harding (piano)
Sound engineer & producer: Jim Atkins
Presented by the State Library of NSW in association with the exhibition Dunera: Stories of Internment.
This performance is part of a project funded by Creative Australia.
The Dunera Mass
In 1940, refugees from Nazi persecution who had fled to Britain were suddenly classified as enemy aliens, transported to Australia on the ship Dunera, and held in camps in Hay and Orange, NSW, and in Tatura, Victoria. In their attempts to re-create traces of their former lives, internees ran a remarkable range of activities inside the camps, from art classes to university-style lectures and theatrical performances. As a result, they produced an extraordinary array of personal art and artefacts, from beautiful portraits and landscapes to pop-up paper models and even an unofficial camp currency. The Library has spent many years compiling collections that piece together this little-known chapter in Australian history and now holds one of largest Dunera collections in the world.
The Dunera Mass is a dramatised concert, telling the story of these refugees using the recently rediscovered music manuscripts of Dunera composer Max-Peter Meyer, with projections of artworks created by fellow Dunera refugees to illuminate the story.
Writer-researcher-narrator: Dr Nicole Forsyth
Performers:
Luminescence Chamber Singers
The Oriana Chorale
Roland Peelman AM
Dr Anna McMichael (violin)
Nicole Forsyth (viola)
Stephanie Li (cello)
Jem Harding (piano)
Sound engineer & producer: Jim Atkins
Presented by the State Library of NSW in association with the exhibition Dunera: Stories of Internment.
This performance is part of a project funded by Creative Australia.
Old Airs
“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]
As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.
Conducted by Roland Peelman AM
1 hour no interval
Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan)
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)
Old Airs
“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]
As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.
Conducted by Roland Peelman AM
1 hour no interval
Please note that this performance will be held at Wesley Music Centre, Forrest.
Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan)
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)
Old Airs
“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]
As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.
Conducted by Roland Peelman AM
1 hour no interval
Please note that this performance will be held at Drill Hall Gallery, Acton.
Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan)
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)
Old Airs
“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]
As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.
Conducted by Roland Peelman AM
1 hour no interval
Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan)
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)
Old Airs
“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]
As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.
Conducted by Roland Peelman AM
1 hour no interval
Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan)
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)
The Dunera Mass
The Dunera Mass is a dramatized concert, telling the story of the HMT Dunera refugees using the recently re-discovered original music manuscripts of Dunera composer, Max-Peter Meyer, with projections of art works created by fellow Dunera Boys Klaus Friedeberger and Robert Hoffman, on the voyage and in the camp, to illuminate the story.
Performed by Luminescence Chamber Singers, The Oriana Chorale, Hay & Deniliquin area choristers, with thanks to choral director Carol Oataway. Choirs directed by Dan Walker.
Instrumental Quartet: Anna McMichael, violin, Nicole Forsyth, viola, Virginia Bonollo, cello, Jem Harding, piano.
This concert is part of the Dunera Association 84th Anniversary Commemoration in conjunction with the Dunera Museum, Hay. With thanks to and support from Hay Shire Council.
Funded by Creative Australia.
Magnificat
“Ein schónes Lied von rechten Meistern, Kann Herze, Leib und Seel’ begeistern”
A beautiful song from the right teacher can inspire the heart, body, and soul.
The story of western music history is a story of mentorship. In MAGNIFICAT, the full gamut of Luminescence singers join forces with Aperion Baroque to trace the musical lineage of baroque composers, presenting gems from the Italian Renaissance and the Baroque era, and paying homage to the composers of the Ospedali Schools of Venice, where young singers studied under the tutelage of Italy’s finest musicians. Luminescence Children’s Choir performs Nicola Porpora’s Magnificat, and our youngest singers (Holiday Program participants) take to the stage in Christoph Ludwig Fehre’s 1751 Cantata ‘Der Schulmeister in der Singschule’ (The school master in the singing school), a comic piece about unruly students and their teacher’s efforts to control his class.
ARTISTS
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Aperion Baroque
Luminescence Children’s Choir
Luminescence Children’s Choir Holiday Program Participants
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
Repertoire includes music by Dan Walker, Orlando Lasso, Adrian Willaert, Gerard Brophy, Luca Marenzio, and Michael East. See full programme details.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
Repertoire includes music by Dan Walker, Orlando Lasso, Adrian Willaert, Gerard Brophy, Luca Marenzio, and Michael East.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
Presented by FESTIVAL OF VOICES
Repertoire includes music by Dan Walker, Orlando Lasso, Adrian Willaert, Gerard Brophy, Luca Marenzio, and Michael East.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
PROGRAMME
LYNOTE Dominique Phinot (1548)
Text: Clément Marot
MON COEUR, MON CORPS Adriaen Willaert (1545)
SOSPIRI MIEI D'AHIMÈ Adriaen Willaert (1545)
OF THE BODY I: INTROITUS Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Francesco Petrarca
DER NASENTANZ Orlande de Lassus (1576)
OF THE BODY II: SARA SARA Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Matsuo Bashō
YOUR SHINING EYES Michael East (1618)
OF THE BODY III: CALIGAVERUNT OCULI MEI Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Sarah Teasdale
IN MANUS TUAS DOMINE Thomas Tallis (1575)
Text: Psalm 31:6
OF THE BODY IV: YOUR FEET Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Pablo Neruda
SKINNY LOVE Justin Vernon arr. Roland Peelman (2007)
OF THE BODY V: REBEL BLOOD Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Andrea Aguilar Ferro
THE BODY BREAKS Devendra Banhart arr. Roland Peelman (2004)
OF THE BODY VI: ODE TO A MOUTH Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Alexander Cook
CON LA SUA MAN Luca Marenzio (1591)
PINK EDGES IV Gerard Brophy (2002)
Text: Pietro Aretino
OF THE BODY VII: HOW TO HOLD A HEART Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Malia Wollan/Dr Kathy Magliato
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
Presented by Four Winds
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
PROGRAMME
LYNOTE Dominique Phinot (1548)
Text: Clément Marot
MON COEUR, MON CORPS Adriaen Willaert (1545)
SOSPIRI MIEI D'AHIMÈ Adriaen Willaert (1545)
OF THE BODY I: INTROITUS Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Francesco Petrarca
DER NASENTANZ Orlande de Lassus (1576)
OF THE BODY II: SARA SARA Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Matsuo Bashō
YOUR SHINING EYES Michael East (1618)
OF THE BODY III: CALIGAVERUNT OCULI MEI Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Sarah Teasdale
IN MANUS TUAS DOMINE Thomas Tallis (1575)
Text: Psalm 31:6
OF THE BODY IV: YOUR FEET Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Pablo Neruda
SKINNY LOVE Justin Vernon arr. Roland Peelman (2007)
OF THE BODY V: REBEL BLOOD Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Andrea Aguilar Ferro
THE BODY BREAKS Devendra Banhart arr. Roland Peelman (2004)
OF THE BODY VI: ODE TO A MOUTH Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Alexander Cook
CON LA SUA MAN Luca Marenzio (1591)
PINK EDGES IV Gerard Brophy (2002)
Text: Pietro Aretino
OF THE BODY VII: HOW TO HOLD A HEART Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Malia Wollan/Dr Kathy Magliato
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
Presented by Arts Bundanoon
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
PROGRAMME
LYNOTE Dominique Phinot (1548)
Text: Clément Marot
MON COEUR, MON CORPS Adriaen Willaert (1545)
SOSPIRI MIEI D'AHIMÈ Adriaen Willaert (1545)
OF THE BODY I: INTROITUS Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Francesco Petrarca
DER NASENTANZ Orlande de Lassus (1576)
OF THE BODY II: SARA SARA Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Matsuo Bashō
YOUR SHINING EYES Michael East (1618)
OF THE BODY III: CALIGAVERUNT OCULI MEI Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Sarah Teasdale
IN MANUS TUAS DOMINE Thomas Tallis (1575)
Text: Psalm 31:6
OF THE BODY IV: YOUR FEET Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Pablo Neruda
SKINNY LOVE Justin Vernon arr. Roland Peelman (2007)
OF THE BODY V: REBEL BLOOD Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Andrea Aguilar Ferro
THE BODY BREAKS Devendra Banhart arr. Roland Peelman (2004)
OF THE BODY VI: ODE TO A MOUTH Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Alexander Cook
CON LA SUA MAN Luca Marenzio (1591)
PINK EDGES IV Gerard Brophy (2002)
Text: Pietro Aretino
OF THE BODY VII: HOW TO HOLD A HEART Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Malia Wollan/Dr Kathy Magliato
Of The Body
“A triumph of sheer excellence, […] a concert of rare depth”
[Canberra CityNews 2023]
“lively, intelligent, and alternately great fun and serious. And always beautifully performed.”
[Classikon, 2023]
From Andreas Vesalius’ groundbreaking De Humani Corporis Fabrica to the drawings of Da Vinci and Dürer, the 16th century heralded a new fascination with the human figure. Human dissection transformed our understanding of anatomy, and the body became the subject of scientific and artistic fixation.
In the spirit of Buxtehude’s much-loved Membra Jesu Nostri, each movement of Dan Walker’s new song cycle Of The Body is devoted to an anatomical part: the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
In a concert that traverses sex, sensuality, the senses, and more, Luminescence Chamber Singers explore our relationship to our corporeal form; our flesh and blood.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
PROGRAMME
LYNOTE Dominique Phinot (1548)
Text: Clément Marot
MON COEUR, MON CORPS Adriaen Willaert (1545)
SOSPIRI MIEI D'AHIMÈ Adriaen Willaert (1545)
OF THE BODY I: INTROITUS Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Francesco Petrarca
DER NASENTANZ Orlande de Lassus (1576)
OF THE BODY II: SARA SARA Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Matsuo Bashō
YOUR SHINING EYES Michael East (1618)
OF THE BODY III: CALIGAVERUNT OCULI MEI Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Sarah Teasdale
IN MANUS TUAS DOMINE Thomas Tallis (1575)
Text: Psalm 31:6
OF THE BODY IV: YOUR FEET Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Pablo Neruda
SKINNY LOVE Justin Vernon arr. Roland Peelman (2007)
OF THE BODY V: REBEL BLOOD Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Andrea Aguilar Ferro
THE BODY BREAKS Devendra Banhart arr. Roland Peelman (2004)
OF THE BODY VI: ODE TO A MOUTH Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Alexander Cook
CON LA SUA MAN Luca Marenzio (1591)
PINK EDGES IV Gerard Brophy (2002)
Text: Pietro Aretino
OF THE BODY VII: HOW TO HOLD A HEART Dan Walker (2023)
Text: Malia Wollan/Dr Kathy Magliato
Festival Finale: Mulanggari
The 2024 Canberra International Music Festival comes to a close with a celebration of the oldest living culture on earth.
For more than twenty years, the Stiff Gins have sung in language about Indigenous culture and women’s empowerment. Now, in a unique Festival collaboration, Kaleena and Nardi join forces with the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam to perform the Gin’s tender songs like you’ve never heard them before – arranged by jazz legend Jonathan Zwartz. Three percussionists bring Holly Harrison’s new trio to life, while William Barton and Véronique Serret summon a final moment of magic alongside works by Nardi Simpson and Yuin composer Brenda Gifford.
As the curtain falls on Roland Peelman’s decade-long tenure at the helm of the Festival, some of his closest musical collaborators join forces to mark the end of an era and to set the tone for the future.
PROGRAM
Simpson/Briggs, Selection of Songs – in new arrangements by Jonathan Zwartz featuring Dudok Quartet Amsterdam
— interval —
Barton/Serret, duet
Holly Harrison, new percussion trio
(commissioned by CIMF’s A Major Lift)
Nardi Simpson, Burruguu (time of creation)
Brenda Gifford, Wardhu (skin)
ARTISTS
Stiff Gins: Kaleena Briggs and Nardi Simpson
William Barton and Véronique Serret
Dudok Quartet Amsterdam
Claire Edwardes, Niki Johnson, Veronica Bailey, percussion
Jason Noble, clarinet
Lamorna Nightingale, flute
Freya Schack-Arnott, cello
Ben Ward, double bass
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Ellery String Quartet
Red Dirt Hymns: Canberra International Music Festival
A hymnal to the country under our feet.
In a Canberra International Music Festival exclusive, the world premiere of Andrew Ford’s RED DIRT HYMNS resounds in the great cathedral of Australian stories: the National Museum of Australia. A living songbook more than four years in the making, Andrew Ford’s hymnal brings together the words of sixteen contemporary Australian writers – poets, essayists and folksingers – in songs of praise, awe, grief, hope, joy, and natural splendour, dedicated not to a god, but to the land.
The ever-daring voices of Luminescence Chamber Singers join forces with two rising stars: Hilary Geddes, 2021 Freedman Jazz Fellow and lead guitarist of Triple J favourites The Buoys, and category-defying cellist Freya Schack-Arnott. Red Dirt Hymns unfolds to the evocative imagery of Sammy Hawker, whose art is created within the fabric of country itself: saltwater, limestone and eucalypt.
From Ellen van Neerven’s dark clouds to John Kinsella’s abundant gardens, RED DIRT HYMNS does what a hymnal is meant to do: it draws us closer – to each other, and to the light and shade of our wide brown land.
“Everyone’s red dirt under the clouds.” – Philip Harvey
The Great Southern Land exhibition will be open to audiences from 6.30pm- 7.45pm
The performance will commence at 8.00pm.
For more information visit www.cimf.org.au
Venue accessibility information nma.gov.au
Glass Heart
Luminescence Chamber Singers delve into 500 years of love songs and break-up anthems. From Monteverdi’s monumental “Sestina” and Marenzio’s sensuous “Baci Soavi e Cari”, to music by David Lang, Eric Whitacre, Drew Crawford, and more. Glass Heart explores the fragility of life and love, and the shattering pain of heartbreak.
1 hour no interval
Season Subscriptions can be bought here
Programme:
SESTINA: LAGRIME D’AMANTE AL SEPOLCRO DELL’AMATA Claudio Monteverdi (1614)
A CHANTAR M’ER Beatriz, Contessa di Dia (1175)
AH ROBIN, GENTLE ROBIN William Cornysh (1545)
I LIVE IN PAIN David Lang (2011)
WHEN THE HEART IS CUT OR CRACKED OR BROKEN Drew Crawford (2015)
MATONA MIA CARA Orlande de Lassus (1581)
A BOY AND A GIRL Eric Whitacre (2002)
BACI, SOAVI E CARI Luca Marenzio (1591)
KAIPAAVA Trad. Finnish Arr. Essi Wuorela & Jussi Chydenius (1999)
GLITTER IN THE AIR Alecia Moore (P!NK) /Billy Mann (2008), arr. Roland Peelman (2014)
FRAGILE Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (Sting), arr. Luminescence (2024)
Glass Heart
Luminescence Chamber Singers delve into 500 years of love songs and break-up anthems. From Monteverdi’s monumental “Sestina” and Marenzio’s sensuous “Baci Soavi e Cari”, to music by David Lang, Eric Whitacre, Drew Crawford, and more. Glass Heart explores the fragility of life and love, and the shattering pain of heartbreak.
This performance of Glass Heart is generously supported by Elizabeth and Tony Minchin.
1 hour no interval
Programme:
SESTINA: LAGRIME D’AMANTE AL SEPOLCRO DELL’AMATA Claudio Monteverdi (1614)
A CHANTAR M’ER Beatriz, Contessa di Dia (1175)
AH ROBIN, GENTLE ROBIN William Cornysh (1545)
I LIVE IN PAIN David Lang (2011)
WHEN THE HEART IS CUT OR CRACKED OR BROKEN Drew Crawford (2015)
MATONA MIA CARA Orlande de Lassus (1581)
A BOY AND A GIRL Eric Whitacre (2002)
BACI, SOAVI E CARI Luca Marenzio (1591)
KAIPAAVA Trad. Finnish Arr. Essi Wuorela & Jussi Chydenius (1999)
GLITTER IN THE AIR Alecia Moore (P!NK) /Billy Mann (2008), arr. Roland Peelman (2014)
FRAGILE Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (Sting), arr. Luminescence (2024)
Season Subscriptions can be bought here
Glass Heart
Luminescence Chamber Singers delve into 500 years of love songs and break-up anthems. From Monteverdi’s monumental “Sestina” and Marenzio’s sensuous “Baci Soavi e Cari”, to music by David Lang, Eric Whitacre, Drew Crawford, and more. Glass Heart explores the fragility of life and love, and the shattering pain of heartbreak.
1 hour no interval
Season Subscriptions can be bought here
Programme:
SESTINA: LAGRIME D’AMANTE AL SEPOLCRO DELL’AMATA Claudio Monteverdi (1614)
A CHANTAR M’ER Beatriz, Contessa di Dia (1175)
AH ROBIN, GENTLE ROBIN William Cornysh (1545)
I LIVE IN PAIN David Lang (2011)
WHEN THE HEART IS CUT OR CRACKED OR BROKEN Drew Crawford (2015)
MATONA MIA CARA Orlande de Lassus (1581)
A BOY AND A GIRL Eric Whitacre (2002)
BACI, SOAVI E CARI Luca Marenzio (1591)
KAIPAAVA Trad. Finnish Arr. Essi Wuorela & Jussi Chydenius (1999)
GLITTER IN THE AIR Alecia Moore (P!NK) /Billy Mann (2008), arr. Roland Peelman (2014)
FRAGILE Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (Sting), arr. Luminescence (2024)
Christmas Classics
The most sublime and uplifting Christmas music from around the world bundled into one heavenly hour. From Medieval carols to classic Yuletide songs and traditional Nativity hymns, this concert features the combined forces of Luminescence Chamber Singers and friends, with the angelic strains of Luminescence Children’s Choir, directed by Roland Peelman.
Program includes:
Medieval carols from England
William Byrd (1540-1623), Lulla, Lullaby
Carols from Catalonia, France and Sweden
Christmas Hymns and songs by Sufjan Stevens and others.
Festival Passes for ‘A Luminous Christmas’ can be purchased here
Dancing Day
Luminescence Children’s Choir offers this ravishing cycle of traditional carols set by John Rutter as the Christmas gift for 2023. Accompanied by Rowan Phemister (harp), Dancing Day features some of the most ancient and beguiling carols out of England’s history. It is in England, and under Vaughan-William’s tutelage that Peggy Glanville-Hicks wrote her famous harp sonata.
Program:
Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Sonata
John Rutter, Dancing Day
Festival Passes for ‘A Luminous Christmas’ can be purchased here
Navidad: Christmas in Spain
The famous collection of Cantigas de Santa Maria encapsules all of the fiery mystery of Spanish music - after 800 years still as earthy and seductive as ever. Forged out of Jewish, Arab and Christian traditions, they are the necessary foil to the rich canvas of Spain’s Golden Age polyphony.
Program:
Selection of Cantigas de Santa maria, attr. Alfonso X (1221-1284)
Motets by Victoria, Guerrero and Morales.
Festival Passes for ‘A Luminous Christmas’ can be purchased here
Christmas Pipes
Described by The Sydney Organ Journal as “one of the finest young musicians of his generation”, Samuel Giddy has rapidly established a reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting young organists. He presents a recital of music by Bach, Balbastre, Escaich, Franck, and more.
PROGRAMME
CLAUDE BALBASTRE (1724 - 1799) Prelude from Organ Concerto in D Major
J.S. BACH (1685 - 1750) Pastorale in F Major BWV 590
I. Alla siciliana
II. Allemande
III. Aria
IV. Alla gigue
J.S. BACH Nun komm der Heiden Heiland BWV 659
THIERRY ESCAICH (b.1965) Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, From Six Chorals-Études
CÉSAR FRANCK (1822 - 1890) Choral no. 2 in B Minor
RACHEL LAURIN (1961 - 2023) Aria from Symphonie no. 1 Op. 36
LOUIS VIERNE (1870 - 1937) Final from Symphony no. 4 in G Minor
Festival Passes for ‘A Luminous Christmas’ can be purchased here