“Carmina Burana” Reviews, 22 March 2026
© Chalice Paiva
Reviews
classikON
Musical perfection from Sydney Chamber Choir
Pepe Newton | 22 March 2026
“Sydney Chamber Choir’s Carmina Burana program was cleverly constructed, using the same instrumental forces in the first half, two pianos and percussion, before unleashing them fully in Orff’s great rhythmic blockbuster after the interval. It made musical and practical sense, and it allowed the audience to become accustomed to the bright, percussive sound world that would dominate the second half. From the floodplains of the Narran Lakes to the medieval Wheel of Fortune, this was a concert about cycles – of water, of seasons and of fate.
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First Nations composer Nardi Simpson’s Dharriwaa – Narran Lakes Dreaming changed the atmosphere. With recorded voices speaking about Country and belonging, this work is deeply personal and connected to landscape and community with the music evoking sunsets and soaring birds. The choir gestured to each other throughout the piece, with looks and body language indicating connection, and they finished unconducted, watching one another and deciding together when the final sound would end. It was a powerful gesture signifying, for me at least, music as community, not just performance.
Paul Stanhope’s I Am Martuwarra was the standout work of the first half. Scored for children’s choir, adult choir, piano and percussion, the work traces the life of the Fitzroy River as it carves its way through the west Australian Kimberley landscape through text and sound. … It felt like tracing the path of the river in song, and watching the children perform this music with such joy and concentration was one of the great pleasures of the evening. Stanhope writes the Australian landscape so well, I am glad he was there to witness this performance, only the second of this work. Here’s to more!…
After the interval came Orff’s Carmina Burana, and from the opening O Fortuna it was clear this was going to be an exceptionally fine performance. The choir was precise, unified and rhythmically tight, with the percussion section and pianos outstanding throughout. But what stood out most was Allchurch’s conducting. He allowed the soft passages space and carefully built the climaxes so that the whole work felt shaped and purposeful, always in service of the story.
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The soloists were all musically outstanding. Baritone Simon Meadows and soprano Celeste Lazarenko showed incredible vocal range and control, and countertenor Russel Harcourt’s famous ‘roasted swan aria’ was beautifully sung, fragile and eerie. …
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When O Fortuna returned at the end, with the combined forces of children’s choir, adult choir, pianos and percussion the effect was electrifying. The standing ovation that followed was entirely deserved, and special recognition should also go to children’s choir director Lachlan Massey for the super preparation of the young singers.
Limelight
Carmina Burana (Sydney Chamber Choir)
Steve Moffat| 4.5 stars | 23 March 2026
“…
Carl Orff wrote Carmina Burana in the mid-1930s in Nazi Germany and its use of bright tonal colours, visceral rhythms and mix of sacred plainchant and secular German bawdy drinking songs has delighted listeners ever since.
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Sydney Chamber Choir’s association with this work is strong, especially as in 2016 the late Richard Gill, who had studied with Carl Orff in the 1970s and played piano for one of his performances of the cantata, conducted it when he was the choir’s Artistic Director.
For their latest outing Artistic Director Sam Allchurch chose three excellent soloists in soprano Celeste Lazarenko, tenor Russell Harcourt and baritone Simon Meadows.
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The Sydney Children’s Choir injected plenty of energy, joy and enthusiasm from the galleries either side of the stage and the SCC was in wonderful voice, with Allchurch precise and exacting in getting the most from his troops.
The twin pianos of Luke Byrne and Jem Harding and the quintet of percussionists lent a more transparent and crisp brightness to the score that you don’t always get with a full orchestra.
The first part of the concert was given over to three works. US composer David Conti’s moving Invocation and Dance, a setting of Walt Whitman’s When Lilacs Last at the Dooryard Bloom, his poems about coming to terms with the death of Abraham Lincoln.
From the four-handed piano slow march of the beginning, various percussion instruments – xylophone, marimba and vibraphone – add brighter colours as the chorus builds in the second part to its climax with the exhortation ‘Praised be the fathomless universe … for life, joy, love, sing praise!’
The two other works were by Australian composers and were both celebrations of Country. Yuwaalaraay woman Nardi Simpson is one half of the popular Indigenous band Stiff Gins and her Dharriwaa, Narran Lakes Dreaming evokes the beauty of the wetland region of north-western NSW which she describes as the heart of her people. The piece combines her verses in English with a tape of a song in Yuwaalaraay spoken by her nieces and nephew.
Paul Stanhope, a former Artistic Director of SCC, wrote his award-winning I Am Martuwarra in 2019 for Gondwana Choirs. For this performance the children’s choir joined percussionist Jess Ciampa by tapping pebbles together in one of the three sections depicting the Fitzroy River through the various seasons.
The half ended in a rhythmic chorus with all the joy of a Hare Krishna parade.”
Sydney Arts Guide
An Epic Carina Burana
Loretta Barnard| 24 March 2026
“What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon that going to hear live music? Sunday’s concert in City Recital Hall promised to be a choral treat, and a choral treat it was. …
Can a piece of music open philosophically? It’s that unusual thought that came to mind as the Sydney Chamber Choir, accompanied by piano and percussion, opened American composer David Conte’s ‘Invocation and Dance’. From a beautifully restrained beginning, echoing the opening words of the text, this work gradually increases its momentum, becoming more and more urgent, before ultimately leading us to a sense of joyous acceptance. Conte wrote this work in 1986 specifically for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. He took as his text lines from ‘When Lilacs First in the Dooryard Bloom’d’, an elegy from that most iconic American poet, Walt Whitman, in which the poet ponders death and its integral relationship to nature. … In the poem, Whitman’s use of birdsong imagery represents the realisation that death is an inextricable part of life, part of the cycle of nature, and shouldn’t be feared. He celebrates life, and so Conte’s piece ends with jubilation, something you could hear in the voices of the choristers. This was a most enjoyable work, and I especially enjoyed the use of vibraphone and marimba.
‘Dharriwaa – Narran Lakes Dreaming’, with words and music by Yuwaalaraay composer (and author) Nardi Simpson was next on the program. Written for voices only, it’s a powerful work, beginning with a lilting fluid melody, reflecting the flow of the Dharriwaa, which only comes into flow when the Narran, Barwon and Namoi rivers overflow. The composer speaks of the land’s transformation when this happens, and tells us it’s the ‘heart of all we are as Yuwaalaraay people’. Once again, there is the image of birds, this time soaring above the water, watching over the land. ‘Dharriwaa – Narran Lakes Dreaming’ is a hauntingly spiritual composition, more so because parts of the text are spoken in language by Simpson’s nieces and nephew, in combination with the choir, which is singing the words to life.
The third work was Paul Stanhope’s ‘I am Martuwarra’, a wonderful choral work featuring the Sydney Children’s Choir, alongside the Sydney Chamber Choir. The evocative text is by poet and librettist Steve Hawke. Martuwarra is the Bunuba word for the Fitzroy River, and the composition takes the form of a dialogue between the river and the people who live and rely on it, each verse reflecting the various aspects of the landscape and the river. … What an uplifting work this is. Paul Stanhope himself was in the audience at this performance, and he looked delighted by the performance. Can’t do better than that!
And so ended the first half of the concert. Now, the main event.
Epic. Earthy. Lusty. Joyous. Ferocious. In your face. Carl Orff’s 1937 masterpiece ‘Carmina Burana’ absolutely demands and holds your full attention, ... Few people will not have heard the powerful opening (and closing), ‘O Fortuna’, that addresses the waxing and waning of our fates in an unpredictable world.
… Normally scored for orchestra, this performance uses the Wilhelm Killmayer version for two pianos and percussion, which took nothing away from the experience. …
The rich baritone voice of Simon Meadows brought gravitas to the ‘Primo vere’, which by the way, celebrates among other things, the song of the nightingale. (Birds are a recurring motif in this program!). Across all parts that were his, Meadows was superb. Just to single out a couple: the falsetto moments in ‘Cours d’amours’; and ‘In taberna’, where listeners believed him when he sang that he was ‘more eager for the pleasures of the flesh, than for salvation’. Indeed, the entire ‘tavern’ section was fabulously alive, the chorus inhabiting the characters most decisively.
Russell Harcourt, that most wonderful tenor/countertenor, had only one part to play, that of the roasting swan bemoaning his fate while he is being turned on the spit. He sang it to perfection. The men’s chorus echoed the misery of the swan.
In all her parts, soprano Celeste Lazarenko’s clarity and expression were on full display. Her ‘Dulcissime’ was dazzling, and in ‘Cours d’amours’, she gloriously sang of lusty courtship. Here, the children’s choir responded by singing of the bitter fate of a girl without a lover. Young children singing of sexual ardour is somewhat jarring, which is, of course, exactly how the composer wanted it. That juxtaposition of innocence against blatant carnality is incredibly potent.
One of my favourite sections of ‘Carmina Burana’ is ‘Tempus est iocundum’ – the joyful time of experiencing first love. The children’s choir sang the ‘Oh, oh, oh, totus floreo …’ with crystal conviction. Throughout, the children were in fine form, singing with great gusto.
In a nutshell, everyone on stage was exultant, and when the work came to its dramatic ending – repeating its stirring beginning – the audience was equally affected. ‘Carmina Burana’ was not well received when it was first performed back in 1937, critics dismissing it for various reasons, but the immediacy and sheer audacity of the composition coupled with today’s polished performance, meant it was given a standing ovation. A well-deserved standing ovation. Director and conductor Sam Allchurch should be mightily proud. Bravo.”
Honi Soit
Orff in Sydney: Carmina Burana at the City Recital Hall
Sebastien Tuzilovic | 28 March 2026
“… Carl Orff’s work is instantly recognisable from the blaring of its first notes, its cataclysmic and powerful first movement, “O Fortuna”, and its mix of styles, forms and influences makes for an evidently odd and wonderful performance throughout.
The Sydney Chamber Choir’s rendition of Orff’s work was everything its audience expected and little more. The choir combined the talents of soloists in soprano Celeste Lazarenko, tenor Russell Harcourt and baritone Simon Meadows with the young voices of the Sydney Children’s Choir, the piano of Luke Byrne and Jem Harding alongside a quintet of percussionists.
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Sydney Chamber Choir was in fine form, belting out the opening with enough bravado to physically raise the hair of the person I was sitting next to, who had started a little in surprise at the opening notes.
The vocal soloists were also all respectively wonderful, and Orff provided plenty of range for them to flex their capabilities to the audience, which they happily did. Simon Meadows’ falsetto baritone within Dies, nox et Omnia was particularly brow-raising.
The percussionists were entertaining also, moving expressively and smiling at each other while they played. It is very refreshing to see an ensemble enjoy their time on the stage so evidently. Too often, we see faces in mute concentration, staring fixedly at the scores and sheet music in front of them. Let this convention fade far away!
Similarly entertaining was the Children’s Choir, with a few of the more precocious members failing to contain their glee about performing at such an occasion, smiling throughout and swaying with the music.
… “
What’s On Sydney
Carmina Burana at City Recital Hall
Nick Bennett
“Recently I attended the City Recital Hall for Sydney Chamber Choir's performance of Carl Orff's masterwork Carmina Burana, accompanied by three shorter choral works: Invocation & Dance by David Conte, Dharriwaa – Narran Lakes Dreaming by Nardi Simpson, and I Am Martuwarra by Paul Stanhope. These pieces served as stepping stones, introducing ideas, textures and rhythmic gestures that would later resonate through the evening’s main work.
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Dharriwaa – Narran Lakes Dreaming is a musical homage to the Narran Lakes of north-western New South Wales. As Simpson has described it, Dharriwaa sits “at the heart of the Yuwaalaraay people, teaching us about kinship, our old people, our knowledge, language and all of creation.”
One of the most evocative moments arrives through the voices of Simpson’s nieces and nephew speaking in language, recounting the creation story of the Narran Lakes. The interplay of choir and percussion captures the atmosphere of this sacred landscape – wind, water and memory layered through sound. The affection for place is unmistakable.
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Martuwarra is the Bunuba name for Western Australia’s Fitzroy River, and Stanhope’s composition takes inspiration from a poem by Steve Hawke. The text traces the river’s journey through Country and through the lands of three Aboriginal nations.
Stanhope divides the choir into distinct groups representing different aspects of landscape and narrative. As the river grows in strength, the music mirrors that momentum through larger choral passages and expanding textures.
A particularly striking moment occurs when the Children’s Choir strike small stones together, producing the delicate sound of rain falling on water and the croaking of frogs. It is a simple gesture, yet it transforms the atmosphere and lifts the piece to an almost meditative plane.
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The performance [of Carmina Burnan] … followed Wilhelm Killmayer’s authorised chamber version, which emphasises percussion, voices and two pianos. The more intimate setting reveals the central importance of percussion in Orff’s musical design.
The five percussionists – Jess Ciampa, Grace Lee, Chiron Meller, Brian Nixon and Bryn Wood – carried enormous physical and technical demands, moving constantly between instruments with precision and energy.
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Three opera soloists anchored the performance: soprano Celeste Lazarenko, counter-tenor Russell Harcourt and baritone Simon Meadows.
Meadows navigated formidable vocal ranges, while Harcourt’s counter-tenor passages brought moments of haunting beauty. Lazarenko’s soprano soared to astonishing heights that seemed almost beyond human capability.
The Sydney Children’s Choir added another dimension. Positioned in galleries above the stage, the young singers created both a visual and sonic counterpoint to the adult choir, their enthusiasm infectious.
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Finally, recognition must go to pianists Luke Byrne and Jem Harding, as well as conductor Sam Allchurch.
Allchurch conducted with visible joy and commitment, clearly sharing a deep connection with both the music and the performers.
The evening concluded with a sustained standing ovation from an appreciative audience – a fitting response to a performance of remarkable energy and scale.”
Artists
Sam Allchurch
Conductor
Sydney Chamber Choir
Sydney Children’s Choir
Celeste Lazarenko
Soprano
Russell Harcourt
Countertenor
Simon Meadows
Baritone
Luke Byrne & Jem Harding
Piano
Jess Ciampa, Grace Lee, Chiron Mellor, Brian Nixon & Bryn Wood
Percussion
Program
David Conte
Invocation and Dance
Nardi Simpson
Dharriwaa - Narran Lakes Dreaming
Paul Stanhope
I am Martuwarra
Carl Orff
Carmina Burana