By Erle Levey
The final weeks of April saw Oriana Choir in fine form, delivering three concerts of contrasting but complementary music, by the master Mozart and the brilliant young Ola Gjeilo.
Mozart’s Vespers showcases his unique creativity and genius with a stunning display of choral virtuosity, a highlight being the achingly beautiful Laudate Dominum.
Gjeilo’s music has a beauty that is distinctive, haunting and sublime.
Audiences at Maleny Community Centre, St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane and Stella Maris Primary School at Maroochydore were visibly moved by the performances.
The choir, under the utterly dependable guiding hand of conductor Kim Kirkman, and the peerless accompaniment of pianist extraordinaire Fay Baker and the delightful Serenity Quartet, gave themselves totally to the joyous task of giving their audience something really special. And they succeeded.
The numbers attending these concerts were a clear confirmation that the hunger for beautiful music is very much alive and well on the Sunshine Coast.
There is a spirit of companionship, both within the choir and with its followers, that is palpable, and a testament to what a community group is able to achieve and share with the community at large, when it gives whole-heartedly.
These performances were dedicated to Alan Mackay-Sim, the 2017 Australian of the Year, pioneer in bio-medical research and much-loved member of Oriana Choir who passed away this year after a long illness.
Those looking for more from this marvellous Sunshine Coast ensemble, then on Sunday, 13 August, and Sunday, 20 August, at St Rita’s College, Clayfield, and Stella Maris School, Maroochydore respectively, Oriana will present Beneath the Southern Cross, a program of Australian music ‘ancient and modern’.
With the heart and commitment that Oriana brings to all its endeavours, this will be yet another musical delight.
For more details: www.oriana.org.au
