Graduate Singers Presents 'Splendour' Concert Next Month

Graduate Singers will present Splendour, their first concert for the 2023 season to be performed on Saturday 13 May at 7:30pm in St Peter's Cathedral.

A celebration of choral music at its most joyous, Splendour will feature the mighty St Peter's Cathedral organ, played by David Heah. Polyphonic gems from the Renaissance by William Byrd and Hans Hassler sit alongside modern works by Eric Whitacre, Karl Jenkins, and Frank Ticheli. John Rutter's energetic O Clap Your Hands and Australian composer Joseph Twist's rhythmic, muscular Jubilate Deo provide the perfect foil for Whitacre's expansive Her Sacred Spirit Soars, a work for double choir that takes the singers to the extremes of their tonal and dynamic ranges.

"We're very excited about performing this music - we wanted to explore a lot of rhythmic complexity, which is always wonderful to hear in the reverberant acoustic of the Cathedral," says Karl Geiger, the choir's Director of Music. "A perfect example is Dum Medium Silentium, a work by Lithuanian composer Vytautas Miškinis. Simple repeating patterns build on each other, breaking apart and coming back together, like a wave pattern. The effect is quite stunning!"

One of the most beautiful pieces in the concert is Felix Mendelssohn's setting of the Ave Maria, which again sees the choir in two halves. Accompanied by the organ, this rich, lush music demonstrates what can be achieved by a large group of accomplished singers. "It's the sort of music that gets to the core of what Grads can do - the choir is often split in so many directions that there are one or two singers on each part, with each singer making an important contribution. It's complex to execute, but gorgeous to listen to - we predict the audience will walk away humming the main melody of the work," says Geiger.

The choir is looking forward to a busy year, with two further concerts planned for their own season, including Mozart's ever-popular Requiem in August, and a concert of modern treasures by living composers in October. They will also collaborate with the Elder Conservatorium Chorale for two Christmas Unwrapped concerts with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Guy Noble.

"We're delighted to kick off the year with such vibrant pieces, which showcase the choir and some really splendid music," says Geiger. "A chance to hear a choir in the Cathedral's incredible acoustic is always special, whether it's your first time or your hundredth, and to hear it with the magnificent organ is an opportunity not to be missed."

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