Symphoniae Sacrae
Revel in the uplifting sounds of massed voices and orchestra as Van Diemen's Band - replete with brass - six vocal soloists and the Choir of St James, King St showcase some of the most sublime repertoire ever written, alongside new works by Alice Chance and Brooke Shelley.
These sacred symphonies - a collection of vocal and instrumental works based on religious texts and designed to be performed in the church - follow a path from Venice to northern Germany during the tumultuous and heart-rending times of the Thirty Years War.
Featuring works by Gabrieli, Cavalli, Schütz and Schop, and selections from Monteverdi's Selva morale e spirituale, this stunning program explores how the Venetian musical tradition paved the way for the golden era of northern German Baroque composition - ultimately leading to JS Bach himself.
Connecting this music to the present day, two extraordinary Australian composers have created contemporary responses to this baroque repertoire - Brooke Shelley's Et Versa Est Victoria and Alice Chance's Au Nord - works that reimagine and recontextualize this rich musical heritage.
About the artists
Sydney-based British soprano Amy Moore worked with virtually all the leading UK ensembles before moving to Australia in 2015, where she is a Principal Artist with The Song Company, and has appeared with Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera and many more.
Michelle Ryan (soprano) has appeared with Bach Akademie Australia, Cantillation, Opera Australia, Pacific Opera and Staatstheatre Wiesbaden.
Mezzo soprano Hannah Fraser specialises in historically informed performance, performing with some of Australia’s most esteemed ensembles and orchestras, including Pinchgut Opera, Bach Akademie Australia, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Australian Vocal Ensemble.
Tenor Louis Hurley is a passionate operatic and concert performer in repertoire spanning the Baroque through to the 21st Century, and has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.
Eric Peterson (tenor) has performed extensively with some of Sydney’s leading ensembles, including Pinchgut Opera, Cantillation, Australian Brandenburg Choir, Bach Akademie Australia and the Choir of St James’ King St.
Bass-baritone Andrew O'Connor rounds out this impressive lineup of soloists. His busy freelance career encompasses opera, the concert platform, vocal chamber music, and the classroom, appearing regularly in both a solo and ensemble context with many of Australia's finest music organisations.
One of Australia's foremost Anglican choirs, the Choir of St James King St, conducted by Thomas Wilson, consists of professional singers who are an eclectic mix of instrumentalists, vocal soloists, teachers, jazz musicians, composers, artistic administrators, musical theatre performers and lawyers. It has become known and highly regarded for its artistically outstanding performances, from small choral pieces to large-scale choral and orchestral works and new Australian works.
Partners
| Vocalists | Andrew O’Connor, Amy Moore, Hannah Fraser, Michelle Ryan, Eric Petersen, Louis Hurley Choir of St James King St, Conductor: Thomas Wilson |
| Van Diemen's Band | Julia Fredersdorff, Artistic Director & Baroque violin |
| MANY THANKS TO | The Parish of St James' King St Sydney |
| INSTRUMENTS | Continuo organ by Henk Klop, Garderen, Nederland 2007 |
|
SYMPHONIAE SACRAE GIOVANNI GABRIELI Sonata per sonar duodecimi toni a 10 Ch 178 from Sacrae Symphoniae Liber 1 (Venice 1597) ANDREA GABRIELI Confetibor tibi Domine à 13 (Venice 1665) HEINRICH SCHUTZ Fili Mi Absalom SWV 269 from Symphoniae Sacrae I (Venice 1629) BROOKE SHELLEY Et Versa Est Victoria (Sydney 2026) G. GABRIELI Sanctus- Benedictus from Symphoniae Sacrae Liber 2 (Venice 1615) FRANCESCO CAVALLI Ave Maris Stella (Hymno) from Musiche Sacre (Venice 1656) JOHANN SCHOP Paduan à 6 (Hamburg 1633) H. SCHUTZ Hütet euch, daß eure Herzen nicht beschweret werden, SWV 413 from Symphonie Sacrae III (Dresden 1647) ALICE CHANCE Au Nord (Sydney/Lutruwita 2026) CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI Deus in adiuitorium from Vespro della beata Virgine (Venice 1610) Excerpts from Selva morale et spirituale (Venice 1641) i. Dixit Dominus Secondo SV 264 ii. Laudate Dominum primo SV 272 C. MONTEVERDI Beatus Vir (primo) |
Event and ticketing details
Date & Time
| St James' Church Sydney |
Wed 16 September 7.00pm |
Tickets
| Premium - Full Price | $85.00 + booking fee |
| Premium - Concession | $75.00 + booking fee |
| A Reserve - Full Price | $65.00 + booking fee |
| A Reserve - Concession | $55.00 + booking fee |
| B Reserve - Full Price | $50.00 + booking fee |
| B Reserve - Concession | $45.00 + booking fee |
| Student / $30 under 30 | $30.00 + booking fee | Limited availability |
| Wheelchair / Limited Mobility Seat | $55.00 + booking fee |
| Companion Card Holder | Free - must be booked with Wheelchair / Limited Mobility Seat |
Booking Fees
| Per booking | Our ticketing provider, Humanitix, passes on a small booking fee to cover the cost of service and merchant fees. 100% of booking fee profits are donated to charity by Humanitix. |
Location
Accessibility
Event notes
Seating Reserves
This concert is general admission seating, meaning there aren't allocated seats, but there are different types of seating inside the venue. CLICK HERE to view the seating map and see which reserves are where.
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