Sydney Chamber Choir Premieres New Song Cycle By Kate Reid

Sydney composer Kate Reid has written a new piece, Solander: A Song Cycle which will be premiered by the Sydney Chamber Choir conducted by Sam Allchurch with narrator John Gaden and percussionist Claire Edwardes on vibraphone, this weekend.

Solander: A Song Cycle is based on the life of the Swedish botanist, Daniel Solander, who accompanied James Cook on his first Pacific voyage. It celebrates Solander’s important contribution to scientific discovery and the great courage and commitment it demanded from him.

Written in seven movements the combination of voices, ranges from two soloists to full SATB choir. Rodney Fisher has provided the narrative and many of the lyrics.

Says Reid “I have been moved to respond to Solander’s life story and to acknowledge, through my music, this extraordinary individual whose work, in spite of its significance and its relevance here, remains relatively unknown in Australia today.”