Music embraces hallowed ground
GEELONG’S historic churches will be filled with music and singing for a three-day festival next week.
Music at the Basilica has secured an impressive and varied line-up for its ninth annual Festival of Sacred Music, which begins on Friday.
Internationally renowned organist Thomas Heywood will show why he is one of the country’s most soughtafter performers when he plays at St Paul’s Church on Saturday evening.
Sitting down at the church’s newly refurbished organ, Heywood’s performance will be highly visible to attendees as it will be projected on to a screen.
The Melbourne-based organist, who is the choirmaster at St John’s Anglican Church in Toorak, heads a festival that will feature accomplished local musicians and emerging artists.
The event opens on Friday night with a concert by Music at the Basilica’s own choral group, Windfire Choir.
Formed in 2013, the choir consists of experienced singers from across the Geelong and Surf Coast region.
Joining the Windfire Choir at the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels is an instrumental ensemble, conducted by Rick Prakhoff, and soloists Sally Wilson, Robert Macfarlane and Tom Healey. They will perform Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs.
All Saints Anglican Parish in Newtown will host Vocal Dimension on Saturday. The 20-person choir from Wangaratta will be performing a range of choral favourites.
The festival returns to St Mary’s on Sunday, with Melbourne-based vocal ensemble e21 to perform music from the medieval to the contemporary.
Directed by Stephen Grant, it will see experienced ensemble singers blend with established soloists for a diverse show.
Wesley Church will host the festival closer, which will see Ensemble 642 performing Song of Songs.
The collection of poems from the Hebrew Bible, known as the Song of Songs, have long inspired composers.
The sensual music, created by Hannah Lane (Italian triple harp) and Nicholas Pollock (therobo), will join with soprano Roberta Diamond for a memorable exploration of Italian baroque. For tickets and performance times, visit www.musicatthebasilica.org.au.