Oriana Chorale's latest concert was called Uprisings with a theme of revolutions and the texts read of uprisings but not so sure of the music. And the revolutions were just sometimes Soviet or the like and often enough the modern takes on the personal as political. Shostakovich appeared in four of 10 poems on texts by revolutionary poets but the others, the more moderns, were gay marriage and anti-racism and women's voices on their rebel blood and harmony in diversity by Sebastian Allen, composer-in-residence, a world premiere. But there was also the past, with Thomas Tallis writing form within the English Reformation, a chorale of a German composer who took his life from conflict of his religion and serving the Nazi regime. And an intriguing wok on Indigenous recognition and reconciliation with words of Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Psalm 137:4 ("How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"). So a fascinating program worthy of followed lyrics. The modern tunes were rich in complexities of harmony, especially. How to find those sharpened intervals with just dots on pages and a voice? These chords could be doozies, but thus is much modern music-making. Tallis was like a relief for a time, rich and full and relatively predictable. Shara Nova was rich in such harmonies. There were also a tune for the males and a tune for the females, the latter led within by Olivia Swift although with musical composition by otherwise MD Dan Walker. Shostakovich appeared quite consonant and tame against some of the living composers. And to end, the Perfect chord, the title of the world premiere composed by Sebastian Allen, one of a few with solo passages, here a glorious melody from soprano Jade McFaul. So a varied and quite magnificent program from an adventurous MD and a very capable choir. Congratulations are due.
Oriana Chorale performed at Anzac Memorial Chapel at Duntroon under Dan Walker (MD, conductor) including one World and one Australian premiere.
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