Sydney Revisited - 2011

SONGBIRDS MAKE A BEAUTIFUL NOISE IN SYDNEY

By: Susan Walker

THIS IS THE STORY about a group of twenty-eight choristers from Esk who got to sing in the Sydney Opera House. It began when Alexis FitzGerald, their Choir Director, received another invitation to the World of Music festival to perform "Mass of the Children" by the esteemed composer, John Rutter. The venue, the Sydney Opera House. Those of the Choir who had gone before and those who had wished they had, were not about to let this opportunity go begging and so it was that the invitation was accepted, the musical score purchased along with some practice CD's and for as many moments as they could afford themselves during the weeks prior to performance, they learned and listened in an attempt to master this most moving piece of music.

By 14th July, heightened with excited anticipation, a busload of Choir members from Esk headed for the airport, destination Sydney. Little was known of the internationally renown Choral Director and musician, Eric Dale Knapp other than that he was to be guest conductor and that he would be bringing along with him his Choir from the USA. However, at their first rehearsal after introductions were made, vocal warm-ups completed and Maestro Knapp ironically began with " ...ok, let's jump right in with Kyrie "...( he did a lot of jumping!) they knew that they were in the presence of a dynamic leader of voices whose energy was sure to empower his performers with something very special designed to stir the souls of an audience.

The genesis for “Mass of the Children" appeared many years before its completion. It was not until the tragedy of losing his son, Christopher, that John Rutter was compelled to pour all his passion into the completion of this music as a dedication, and to perform it is to feel the depth of his emotion. With the purity of the Children's voices, combined with the maturity of the Adult choirs, latin text, interspersed with lines from the poetry of William Blake, from the colourful opening of "Kyrie" through to the peace of "Finale (Dona nobis pacem)", this work is Rutter at his most sublime and for the travellers from Esk, to perform it amid a 160 voice choir to an almost capacity audience in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, was a moment when their world was crammed with Heaven and their dedication to their preparation for this experience was evident and noted.

Prior warning had armed them well for the impact of hearing and singing with the Children's Choir "Partners in Praise" from the USA. It was to have a bypass from one's heart to one's tear ducts not to shed tears at the purity of their sound!! So too was the audience moved by the goose-bump performances by the soprano and baritone soloists, Alicia Luick and Morgan Pearse whose chocolaty depth of sound was simply swoon-worthy. The "Mass of the Children" was originally written with accompaniment by an orchestra or chamber ensemble. However, Eric Dale Knapp chose in this instance to perform to the accompaniment of the Opera House's magnificent pipe organ and in so doing, brought with him his own highly acclaimed accompanist, Mark Pacoe, whose talents seated at the organ were on a par with his superlatively good looks!

By Monday the 18th, the reality of returning home began to intrude, but not before the Eskimos had shopped, supped and savoured the sights, spectacle and sounds that were there for the taking in the exciting city of Sydney. From Bondi to Balmain, La bohéme and beyond, over the 5 days of their sojourn, they were treated to a feast of fabulous fun and entertainment, though paled in part by their performance at the Opera House.

To put finish to this story and to this most beautiful of singing at this point in time would be a miscarriage of the heart and so to avoid that end, the Choir will be performing two of these moving pieces for local audiences at their upcoming Concerts later in the year.