Song of Joy, no less

National choirs are a thing and I've even sung in one (Italian) but I don't always expect much.  They are community choirs and are welcoming rather than auditioned and that's good, so they have a social as well as an artistic or cultural role.  They often play the free circuit of aged homes and fetes and the like but not so often the more skilled reaches of the concert hall, but the Austrian Choir appeared at Wesley and they were a great pleasure.  We heard some decent harmonies and interesting costumes and skilled accompaniment from Linus Lee on the very good organ and piano at Wesley Uniting Church and some capable leadership from Geoff Roberts, but the thing that ultimately impressed me was the repertoire.  I'd expected folk tunes from a nattily dressed national choir but we opened with Beethoven Song of joy, no less.  Beethoven 9!  And that was a very decent rendition with nicely clear and correct harmonies.  There was another Beethoven, too, and a Mozart.  Mozart was from current Austria (b. Salzburg).  Beethoven wasn't (b. Bonn) but I decided a Germanic culture can claim these names so OK.  Perhaps not Ketelbey who was also sung and was English, but that went into Kyrie Eleison which must have common ownership over all Europe.  The songs from a few musicals (You'll never walk alone, Climb every mountain) were harder to claim but they were inviting, and the Louis Armstrong reference (What a wonderful world) was also pretty new world USA.  Linus got in an organ solo by Vittorio Mondi and there were a few  songs that are popular in newer religions and this seemed more new world  but maybe not and they are really infectious tunes (Guide me O great Jehovah, You raise me up).  But then to finish a final musical number that talks clearly of Austria (Eidelweiss from Sound of Music) even if it was originally received with "disdain by Austrians" (Wikipedia).  As in the film, it was the final number and we were invited to sing along so it was a great pleasure.  As was this whole program and concert.  I enjoyed this concert.

The Austrian Choir Canberra performed at Wesley Church under Geoff Roberts (conductor) and with accompaniment from Linus Lee (organ, piano).