ARCO And The Sydney Chamber Choir Join Forces For Pastoral Melodies

The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO) opens its 2018 season with Pastoral Melodies featuring much-loved  works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Beethoven.

Joined by the Sydney Chamber Choir and conducted by the artistic director of both ensembles, Richard Gill AO, the orchestra’s world-class musicians present their latest concert in the presentation of historically informed performance on period instruments. This first concert series for the year presents  sweeping orchestral sounds as well as choral music featuring one of Australia’s premier choirs.

Included in the programme are Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture (‘Fingal’s Cave’), Five Songs by Brahms, Mozart’s Spaur Messe (‘Piccolomini’) and Beethoven’s rapturous Symphony No 6, ‘Pastoral’. Richard Gill offers his erudite, entertaining pre-concert talks 45 minutes before each concert.

Established in 2013, ARCO has become a vibrant and leading presence on the Australian music scene, reaching wide audiences through performances in major venues as well as radio broadcasts, a commitment to music education and the concert series Richard Gill Presents – A Voyage of Musical Discovery  in collaboration with Australian contemporary, jazz and baroque ensembles, which leads audiences through music from the past and present, taking an in-depth look at the most recent contemporary Australian music along with music from the 18th and 19th centuries. The first ‘Voyage’ of 2018 will take place at Sydney’s City Recital Hall on Tuesday 27 March at 6pm.

The programme: Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Hebrides Overture Op.26 ‘Fingal’s Cave’ (1830)/ Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Five Songs Op.104 (1888)/ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Spaur Messe KV.258 ‘Piccolomini’ (1776)/ Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No.6 Op.68 ‘Pastoral’ (1808)

Tickets: $25-$95 | Bookings and information at www.arco.org.au