Sublime Choral Music From The Choir Of St James’

The Choir of St James’, directed by Warren Trevelyan-Jones, with Alistair Nelson playing chamber organ Rachel Scott, cello, and Simon Martyn-Ellis, theorbo, performs sublime choral music featuring Domenico Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater for 10 voices, and music by Bach, Gjeilo, Part, Tavener and Gorecki.

The choir is one of the oldest musical establishments in Australia, and is linked to the earliest days of the colony of New South Wales. Indeed, some of its early members were convicts.

The choir is renowned for its excellence and today consists of around a dozen professional adult singers, and who are an eclectic mix of instrumentalists, vocal soloists, teachers, jazz musicians, composers, artistic administrators, musical theatre performers and lawyers. It maintains a regular schedule of weekly choral services including Wednesday evensong and Sunday Choral Eucharist, as well as special services (weddings, funerals, state funerals and memorials) and recordings, broadcasts and interstate and overseas tours. 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.

The has enjoyed collaborations with ensembles including The Tallis Scholars, The King’s Singers, The Gabrieli Consort, and works with Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Baroque Brass, The Australian Haydn Ensemble, and soloists Yvonne Kenny, Greta Bradman and Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

The programme: Clemens O Maria vernans rosa/ J S Bach Komm, Jesu, komm/ Gjeilo The Rose/ Tavener Magnificat/ Pärt The Deer’s Cry/ D Scarlatti Stabat mater/ Gorecki Totus tuus