Choir of St James’ ‘Cease All Tears’ Perpetuates Memory In Music

The Choir of St James’ directed by Warren Trevelyan-Jones will present Cease All Tears – a journey of  tributes to composers and celebrities in a concert of ‘in memoriam’ music.

Fast gaining a reputation as Sydney’s pre-eminent civic choir, this programme from The Choir of St James’ includes Herbert Howell’s Take him earth for cherishing (written for the first anniversary of the death of John F. Kennedy), Josquin des Prez’s Nymphes des bois (written in memory of Johannes Ockeghem), and John Rutter’s Hymn to the Creator of Light (written for the dedication of a memorial window at Gloucester Cathedral for Herbert Howells) among others. Alongside ‘in memoriam’ music will be soothing and meditative works to ‘cease all tears’ by Arvo Pärt, John Tavener and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.

Preceding the concert at 3:00pm is a St James’ Institute event, In memoriam. This seminar examines poetry, prayer, music, art and literature that has been written ‘in memoriam’ of people from across the ages, as well as our private and personal responses to the life everlasting.

The Choir of St James’, directed by Warren Trevelyan-Jones, enjoys a reputation of being one the finest and oldest musical ensembles in Australia. It is linked to the earliest days of the colony of New South Wales. Some of its early members were convicts. The choir maintains a schedule of regular weekly choral services, Sunday cantata services, orchestral masses, and its own subscription concert series. It’s broad repertoire encompasses music from the Middle Ages to the contemporary and it is committed to supporting new Australian works, including compositions written by past and present members of the choir. They have collaborated with the Tallis Scholars, the King’s Singers, and the Gabrieli Consort, Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Baroque Brass, The Australian Haydn Ensemble, and soloists Yvonne Kenny, Greta Bradman and Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

The choir also undertakes a busy programme of recording, broadcasting and touring, interstate and overseas. This year, it returned to Gallipoli and sang at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service, performed at the Coriole Music Festival in Adelaide and at Hobart’s Festival of Voices.

Tickets $50/$45
Bookings: or call (02) 8256 2222

For the St James’ Institute seminar In memoriam, visit sjks.org.au/institute or phone (02) 8227 1305