10:01a.m. 17th June 2008

| Marguerite Webber

The Sunshine Coast Choral Society

Lake Kawana Community Centre was packed on Sunday June 15th for the Sunshine Coast Choral Society’s first concert for 2008. The program comprised just two items, by the contemporary English composer, John Rutter.

The first, “Mass of the Children” was written by Rutter two years after the tragic and sudden death of his university student son, Christopher, in an accident.

A choir of 52 children from the Matthew Flinders Anglican College (mainly from the Junior School), and trained by Genevieve Bignell was heard singing at times alone and also with the adult choir.

Their fresh and beautiful voices reminded me of the innocence and vulnerability of children in this day and age.

It is also comforting to know that this school on the Sunshine Coast teaches and encourages children to sing such wonderfully complex classical music in this age of popular culture.

Adrian King conducted this enormously challenging, marvelous music, with its constantly shifting harmonies, key and timing changes, with impeccable style and charisma.

The choir is seriously devoid of male singers, but somehow it seemed to work with so few of them.

Soloists Anita Parakh-Morgan, soprano and Brett Holland, bass, gave very convincing performances, especially in the Finale, Dona nobis pacem.

Anita’s many high notes were pure, effortless and quite inspiring.

One critic has described the music as “an irresistible work, full of flowing melodies, catchy rhythms and pop-tinged harmonies.”

It is all of this and more. The soaring vocal lines in the final moments are chilling!

The highly professional Sunshine Coast Chamber Ensemble, minus the violins and violas, accompanied the singers.

The harp - Janice Preece - played an integral part and there were some lovely flute solos from Julie Dean, with cymbals, tympani and organ adding to the grandeur of the music.

The balance between instruments and choirs was spot on.

After the interval we were treated to a thrilling performance of the highly acclaimed “Magnificat”, based on the text from the Gospel of St Luke, Chapter 1 verses 46 – 55.

It is a much-loved hymn of praise to God given by the Virgin Mary acknowledging that she was to become the mother of Jesus Christ.

Rutter had observed that in countries such as Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico feast days of the Virgin are celebrated in the streets with singing, dancing and processions.

He had this in mind when composing this music, using cymbals, tympani and percussion to great effect.

One does not normally associate these instruments with sacred music.

The strings joined the Ensemble for this work, completing a rich texture of sound.

Anita Parakh-Morgan was the only soloist - with a particularly poignant interpretation of Et misericordiia and Esurienties.

The concluding movement, Gloria Patri, was a truly joyful, exciting and inspiring conclusion with a long crescendo to a glorious climax.

How fortunate we are to have a conductor of such vision, and a choral society who are prepared to learn this difficult and complex music so successfully.

Adrian King has a wealth of experience of the English cathedral choral tradition and working with school children.

His initiative in introducing this little heard repertoire to the Sunshine Coast and the Choral Society’s willingness to support the initiative, shows just how far the choir has progressed.

The attending public loved it.