Music lovers are in for a rare treat when Australia’s ‘first and finest’ choir for boys and young men returns to Geelong for the first time in over two years.
The Australian Boys Choir will perform at the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels on Sunday, September 14, presenting a program drawing inspiration from the night sky.
As part of the lead up to the choir’s tour of New Zealand in late September, To Catch the Stars will feature works by leading trans-Tasman composers including songs in the Māori language and Australian composer Sarah Hopkins’ lauded Past Life Melodies.
The choir will be accompanied by pianist Timothy Mallis and joined by the Kelly Gang, the Australian Boys Choral Institute’s ensemble of teenage voices.
Conductor and Australian Boys Choral Institute artistic director Nick Dinopoulos said the choir loved performing at St Mary’s.
“This will be our first time back at the Basilica since 2022 when we performed a program of Mozart and Haydn with the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra,” he said.
“It’s terrific to be back as part of our 85th anniversary celebrations, and extremely exciting to be heading to New Zealand later this month too.”
Dinopoulos said the Hopkins work, which includes vocal techniques such as open-throated chant singing and Aboriginal-inspired chant, was a highlight of the program.
“Past Life Melodies has been a hallmark of Australian Boys Choir tours for some time now,” he said.
“It’s an amazing piece with harmonic overtone singing, which is singing two notes at once. It’s not easy to do, and the boys practise hard to learn the technique.
“People often ask us if there are electronic components to the performance, but the truth is that it’s all the power of the human voice.”
Visit trybooking.com/CPDRD for tickets and more information.
