“Heirs & Rebels” Reviews, September 2024
Reviews
classikON
Sydney Chamber Choir - 90 minutes of choral splendour!
Jacqui Smith | 29 September 2024
“I have been a long-time fan of the Sydney Chamber Choir, who turn 50 in 2025. Under the helm of Sam Allchurch, the Sydney Chamber Choir with guest narrator John Gaden AO reading from letters and poetry, our spirits were lifted with 90 minutes of choral splendour on a sunny Spring afternoon in Goulburn. … The SCC are expert in their ability to sing as one, with precise phrasing, intonation (particularly with the many dissonances heard today), dynamics and diction, and a joy in their communication with the audience. Today’s performance was flawless, prepared, and joyful.”
Sydney Arts Guide
Heirs and Rebels - Sydney Chamber Choir at Christ Church St Laurence
Elizabeth Surbey | 5 stars | 1 October 2024
“The Sydney Chamber Choir, under the direction of Sam Allchurch, delivered an exceptional performance ... Allchurch … crafted a program with the title Heirs and Rebels, which explored the depth and diversity of the English choral tradition while also interweaving contemporary compositions and innovative interpretations. … The inclusion of actor John Gaden as narrator added another dimension, with his readings complementing the choral works. … The choir’s commitment to supporting Australian composers was reflected in the performance of Harry Sdraulig’s Evening Star, a new work that evoked a sense of cosmic grandeur and stillness, drawing from Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry.”
Artists
Sydney Chamber Choir
Sam Allchurch
Conductor
John Gaden
Narrator
Program
Edward Elgar
Lux aeterna
Gerald Finzi
My Spirit Sang All Day
Imogen Holst
A Hymne to Christ
Gustav Holst
Nunc dimittis
Hubert Parry
From Songs of Farewell:
My soul, there is a country
Never weather-beaten sail
At the round earth’s imagined corners
Harry Sdraulig
Evening Star
Charles Stanford
The Blue Bird
Thomas Tallis
Why Fum’th in Fight
John Tavener
The Lamb
Song for Athene
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Agnus Dei, from Mass in G minor
Judith Weir
Love Bade Me Welcome