The Sydney Chamber Choir conducted by its Musical Director Paul Stanhope performs two vividly contrasting Eastertide settings of Christ’s final words on the cross. James MacMillan’s dramatic cantata Seven Last Words from the Cross delivers a powerful Easter message, alongside a sublime contemplative setting by the German Baroque master Heinrich Schütz. Themes of sorrow and redemption…
Over the years, the Sydney Chamber Choir has garnered a reputation for its sophisticated performances of the best in both established and emerging choral music. Musical Director Paul Stanhope has also extended the concept of ‘classical’ choral performances and pioneered programmes of music that crosses faiths and underscores similarities rather than differences in beliefs. The ultimate question of this aesthetic is whether religion and music can…
This weekend Bel a capella presents ‘Lux Aeterna’, a clever programme of mostly 20th century gems of choral music. The repertoire pairs Paul Stanhope’s Lux Aeterna with Elgar’s ethereal work of the same name, and two collections of five songs – Sir Michael Tippett’s rhythmic Five Negro Spirituals and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs. As well, the…