Three Geelong choirs will come together to present an enchanting choral Christmas event at St Mary of the Angels Basilica.
The Windfire Christmas Concert, held at 5pm on Sunday, December 15, will feature the Windfire Choir and the Vox Angelica Geelong Chamber Choir and a guest performance by the Geelong Youth Choir.
Windifre and Vox Angelica will combine under the direction of Tom Healey to present two Yuletide-themed works accompanied by an orchestra.
The concert will begin with British composer Gerald Finzi’s In Terra Pax (Christmas Scene), featuring regular Windfire Choir conductor and baritone soloist Joseph Hie and soprano Emily Swanson.
The second work, popular English choral composer John Rutter’s Magnificat, will feature Phillipa McQuinn performing the soprano solos.
The Geelong Youth Choir, conducted by McQuinn, will perform between the combined choir’s two brackets.
Healey, who is the director and founder of Vox Angelica, said the event would be a “spectacle”.
“There will be about 60 singers and we’ve got an orchestra of 19 players… all together, about 80 performers, so it will make the place ring,” he said.
“We had a rehearsal in the Basilica and they were making a fabulous sound, all the parts of the choir are very strong.”
Healey said the program was very accessible for people unfamiliar with choral music
“People who come to these sorts of concerts who haven’t been to them before, they’re often quite moved by it,” Healey said.
“I hope they will be blown away by how exciting the music is, and also how beautiful it is. It’s the kind of music that burrows into your heart and soul and makes you feel really happy.
“Also, the environs of the building, St Mary’s… it’s one of those spaces that is so impressive and beautiful. The whole setting is part of the experience.”
VIsit trybooking.com/CQYBA for tickets and more information.
