Gloria!
Darwin Chorale will be joined by Melbourne based choir Exaudi for a rousing and spine chilling performance this Easter. Fiona Wake from Darwin Chorale spoke to Off The Leash.
Tell us about the concert this Easter, Gloria!
Chorale’s concert at Easter features beautiful sacred music appropriate to this time of the year. The main work on the program is Gloria by 18th century Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi. This is one of the most popular choral works ever written, incorporating both solo work and orchestra, and at just 30 minutes it’s not too long! There will be several other smaller works on the program, all very melodious and easy to listen to.
You have the Exaudi choir from Melbourne joining you. What can you tell us about this choir?
Exaudi is a choir made up of young people aged 18–29. Most have sung with various children's or youth choirs around Melbourne and join Exaudi as a bridge between youth and adult choirs. They perform all around Melbourne and have made several tours around Australia and overseas. Part of the same organisation, Young Voices of Melbourne, visited the NT a couple of years ago. The conductor of both groups is Mark O’Leary, an expert, highly regarded choral conductor, much in demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician.
How has this collaboration come about?
Mark O’Leary contacted Darwin Chorale’s Music Director, Michael Loughlin, to let him know that Exaudi was planning a tour to the NT. It seemed like a fantastic opportunity to perform together! Mark was keen, so he and Michael have been planning the program since the end of last year. Exaudi is planning to perform at some schools around Darwin and also to visit Katherine for performances there.
Why was this performance chosen to kick off the Chorale's 2018 season?
The Chorale has not performed Gloria for quite a long time, and as our visiting choir will have just performed it at the end of last year, it seemed like a great opportunity for the two groups. The visitors have been invited to perform in the first half of the concert – which is very exciting, as they are an award-winning, quality choir, and will no doubt charm the audience. Darwin Chorale will also perform some beautiful music on their own in the first half.
A combined choir of 90 singers, plus an orchestra of 16 players – including strings, oboe and trumpet – will make a strong, full sound and will be very exciting for our audience. It will also be exciting to hear a top-class choir (apart from Darwin Chorale, of course!) from elsewhere.
Sun 1 Apr | 4pm | Christchurch Cathedral | $30 | See the event listing
Image: Exaudi Choir
