Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Event Details

Masterworks from two Masters of the Queen’s Music, plus two of Handel’s grandest royal works. The first non-Briton to hold the royal appointment, Malcolm Williamson brought a larrikin spirit to the role. ‘Most of my music is Australian,’ he said, ‘not the bush or the deserts, but the brashness of the cities. The sort of brashness that makes Australians go through life pushing doors marked pull.’ His Symphony for Voices is a visionary work that explores the spirituality of the Australian landscape. Current Master of the Queen’s Music, Scottish composer Judith Weir, offers a more intimate musical experience, drawing on writers as diverse as Shakespeare, e.e. cummings and Edward Lear. Music and poetry intertwine in a rich tapestry of choral colour. George Friedrich Handel was never actually Master of the King’s Music, but as Composer to the Chapel Royal he wrote the most famous regal music of all: Zadok the Priest, which has graced every British coronation since Handel composed it for King George II in 1727. His Dettingen Te Deum is on an even grander scale: bold, triumphant and utterly thrilling.

Featured non-Australian music: Weir - The Song Sung True, Weir - A Blue True Dream of Sky, Weir - Love Bade me Welcome, Handel - Dettingen Te Deum Handel - Zadok the Priest

Further information for this event is available online at the event's website or by phone on 1300 661 738 or by email to administrator@sydneychamberchoir.org

Featured Australian Works

Featured artists

• Performer Sydney Chamber Choir
• Conductor Sam Allchurch