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Voices of Grandeur at St Kilda Presbyterian Church

Name: Voices of Grandeur at St Kilda Presbyterian Church
Start: 2024-03-17T15:00:00+10:00
End: 2024-03-17T15:00:00+10:00
Location: St Kilda Presbyterian Church

Team of Pianists presents C & C Rigg Bequest Classic Music in Historic Venues 2023 - 24 at St Kilda Presbyterian Church, 2 Alma Road, St Kilda.

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon at the 'Voices of Grandeur' concert, featuring the Melbourne Cappella Chamber Choir, under the direction of Nicholas Cowall, accompanied by Rohan Murray at the piano. This one-day-only event will showcase an exceptional blend of vocal prowess and piano artistry within a repertoire spanning the soulful depths of Orthodox chant to the dramatic peaks of Italian opera and Russian and Hungarian romanticism.

Our journey commences with Pavel Chesnokov’s ethereal 'Let my prayer Arise' Op. 24, No. 8, a piece celebrated for its stirring emotional depth and spiritual solemnity. The choir’s rich, sonorous timbres will rise and intertwine, enveloping listeners in a tapestry of contemplative sound, reflective of the Orthodox Church's storied tradition. As we delve further into the choral landscape, Franz Liszt's 'Missa quattuor vocum ad aequales' S. 8. will carry you through a profound liturgical experience. Written for male voices, this Mass in four parts exhibits Liszt's mastery at crafting complex vocal lines that converge in an expression of celestial beauty and reverence.

The afternoon’s second half opens with a timely tribute to Giacomo Puccini, marking the centenary of his passing, our artists will perform a selection of arias and choruses from his oeuvre. Puccini's emotive scores, known for their passionate and melodious nature, will be brought to life by Melbourne's finest male opera singers, ensuring a performance that resonates with the spirit and legacy of the great composer. To culminate the concert, we will witness Tchaikovsky's '1812 overture' Op. 49, ingeniously arranged for piano by the composer himself. This adaptation retains all the fire and splendour of the original orchestral work. Through Murray’s dynamic interpretation, audience members will experience the overture’s thunderous cannons and jubilant bells with a fresh, intimate intensity.

Sunday March 17, 2024 at 3.00pm

Melbourne Capella Chamber Choir conducted by Nicholas Cowall, Rohan Murray (piano)

Chesnokov - Let my prayer Arise, Op 24 No. 8, a capella with alto solo
Puccini - Vexilla Regis Prodeunt, for 2-part male chorus & piano
Liszt - Missa quattuor vocum ad aequales S. 8, for 4-part male Chorus, soloists and keyboard
INTERVAL
Puccini- Humming Chorus (Madam Butterfly, for piano & male chorus
Puccini - Colline’s aria 'Vecchia zimarra, senti' (from La Bohème) & Cavaradossi's aria 'E lucevan le stelle' (from Tosca), for solo voices & piano
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture Op. 49, arr. Cowall for male chorus & piano

Venue

St Kilda Presbyterian Church
2 Alma Road
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
(corner of Alma Road and Barkly Street, St Kilda)
Please note: As this is an historic building there are three toilets but no disability-access bathroom at present.