THE HOPE OF EASTER
Music has always played a big role in marking special moments, and Easter is no exception.
WORDS BROOKE GIBBS
IMAGE PAZ TASSONE
THIS MONTH, EXPERIENCE a powerful afternoon of choral music when a 26-voice choir presents The Hope of Easter.
Taking place at Darwin Memorial Uniting Church, this performance by local group Vocalective offers a rich and immersive musical experience. Accompanied by a small orchestra featuring strings, oboes, trumpets and timpani, the choir guides audiences through centuries of sacred music, exploring themes of hope, resurrection and renewal, that sits at the heart of the Easter season.
“While not having the resonance of a cathedral, the Darwin Memorial Uniting Church has good acoustics for the choir and orchestra together,” says Vocalective Music Director Michael Loughlin.
“The two trumpet concertos of Vivaldi as played by the two soloists, David Pye and Jess Anderson, will sound brilliant in that acoustic. And the church is air-conditioned, which is a huge bonus for performers and audience.”
The program brings together music from several of the most famous composers in classical history, each offering a different style and story. One of the highlights is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, often described as one of the most important composers of all time.
“The opportunity to perform the greatest and most popular choral work ever written, even only with these special excerpts which deal with the Easter story, is very special for choirs and orchestras alike,” Loughlin says.
“The smiles on singers’ faces when pumping out the Hallelujah is uplifting and inspiring. We’re sure the audience will warm to soloist Callum Bowles as he sings The Trumpet Shall Sound with trumpet soloist, David Pye.”
The concert features Bach’s Easter cantata Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds).
“Many numbers in the Bach Cantata are characterised by independent lines of music sung by the four parts – soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. These are quite magical moments. Soft singing in the Russian pieces is moving and somehow powerful in a rather different way,” says Loughlin.
Loughlin describes the piece as the journey of Easter, from the pathos of the orchestral opening, through the crucifixion to the resurrection and celebration of that.
“We hope that our audience will join us on the journey through this music of pure genius,” he says.
The program also includes music connected to well-known Russian composers, Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninov.
“Often the tenor and bass parts are divided into two separate parts, and the second basses are asked to sing extremely low notes. We can reach those, but it’s hard to project a full sound at those depths. Vocalective will sing this music accurately, with conviction and with a strong, full tone,” Loughlin says.
Tchaikovsky is best known for writing the famous ballads Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.
Sergei Rachmaninov was another major figure in Russian music and was known both as a composer and an incredible pianist. His music often features big, sweeping melodies and strong emotions.
The concert features excerpts that highlight the richness and depth of Russian choral music.
Adding another flavour to the program is the music of Italian composer, Antonio Vivaldi. He spent many years teaching music at an orphanage in Venice, where the students became famous performers across Europe.
Vivaldi wrote hundreds of pieces of music, including the well-known Four Seasons. This concert features his lively Concerto for Two Trumpets, a bright and energetic piece that shows off the sound of the brass instruments and adds a burst of excitement to the program.
To finish the afternoon, the choir performs excerpts from George Frideric Handel’s famous work, Messiah. Even those that don’t usually listen to classical music often recognise the iconic Hallelujah chorus, which closes the concerts on a high note.
“We hope that our audience will leave feeling uplifted, happy, and talking about the great music they’ve just heard. We also hope the audience is inspired by what they have experienced from Vocalective’s performance,” Loughlin says.
The Hope of Easter
WHEN SUN 12 APR | 4.30PM
AT DARWIN MEMORIAL UNITING CHURCH
COST $40 | $35 CONC | $20 CHILD
INFO facebook.com/vocalective.singers
