In 1978 John McCaughey took over from George Logie-Smith as musical director
of Astra, initiating Astra's second historical phase as a contemporary choral
organisation. In the thirty years since then, Astra has performed
1280 works by 430 composers in 240 concerts
at 64 different venues.
Click the date to see the works performed in that concert. Concerts from 2004
onward also have links to program notes
|
Date
|
Concert Title |
Venue |
|
|
27 April 1978 |
|
Assembly Hall, Collins St |
|
16 June 1978 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
|
|
|
12 July 1978 |
|
Great Hall, National Gallery of Victoria |
|
10 August 1978 |
|
Baptist Church, Collins Street |
|
5 October 1978 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
|
|
|
2 November 1978 |
|
Great Hall, National Gallery of Victoria |
|
7 December 1978 |
|
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
10 April 1979 |
|
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
1 June 1979 |
|
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
15 June 1979 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
|
|
|
29 July 1979 |
|
Ormond College Chapel |
|
9 August 1979 |
|
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
28 September 1979 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
|
|
|
12 December 1979 |
|
Baptist Church, Collins Street |
|
31 March 1980 |
|
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
20 June 1980 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
10 July 1980 |
|
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
4 August 1980 |
|
Toorak Uniting Church |
|
19 September 1980 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
9 October 1980 |
|
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
18 December 1980 |
|
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
8 April 1981 |
|
Our Lady of Victories Church, Camberwell |
|
12 April 1981 |
Music at Easter |
St Paul's Church, Euroa |
|
12 June 1981 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
10 July 1981 |
|
Old Customs House |
|
13 August 1981 |
|
Monash University Religious Centre |
|
18 September 1981 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
8 October 1981 |
|
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
17 December 1981 |
|
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
21 April 1982 |
New Music Concertata |
Church of Mark the Evangelist, Curzon St, North Melbourne |
|
16 June 1982 |
Cello and Piano Recital |
Toorak Uniting Church |
|
2 July 1982 |
Youth Concerto Concert 1 |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
25 September 1982 |
Let the Choirs Sing |
Melbourne Concert Hall |
|
1 October 1982 |
Youth Concerto Concert 2 |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
12 October 1982 |
Bach/Adorno/Eisler |
Baptist Church, Collins Street |
|
16 December 1982 |
|
Auburn Uniting Church |
|
20 April 1983 |
|
Our Lady of Victories Church, Camberwell |
|
7 July 1983 |
Madrigals and New Music |
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Armadale |
|
6 October 1983 |
Paris 1898 - Melbourne 1983 |
Sacred Heart Church, St Kilda |
|
15 December 1983 |
A German Tradition |
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
17 April 1984 |
Easter |
Armadale Uniting Church |
|
15 June 1984 |
Youth Concerto Concert 1 |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
12 July 1984 |
Music and Text |
The Church, Burwood Rd, Hawthorn |
|
7 September 1984 |
Youth Concerto Concert 2 |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
4 October 1984 |
Mass and Motets |
All Saints Anglican Church, St Kilda |
|
12 December 1984 |
Choir, Cello and Piano |
Church of Mark the Evangelist, Curzon St, North Melbourne |
|
24 April 1985 |
Mozart and some Victorians |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
11 July 1985 |
North Melbourne in July - A Festival of Contemporary Music, 1 |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
12 July 1985 |
North Melbourne in July - A Festival of Contemporary Music, 2 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
12 July 1985 |
North Melbourne in July - A Festival of Contemporary Music, 3 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
14 July 1985 |
North Melbourne in July - A Festival of Contemporary Music, 4 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
14 July 1985 |
North Melbourne in July - A Festival of Contemporary Music, 5 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
16 July 1985 |
North Melbourne in July - A Festival of Contemporary Music, 6 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
8 September 1985 |
New Moods Arts Festival |
Convent of the Good Shepherd, Abbotsford |
|
13 September 1985 |
Youth Concerto and Chamber Orchestral Concert |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
9 October 1985 |
...ein neues Lied - …a new song, 1 |
Baptist Church, Collins Street |
|
15 November 1985 |
...ein neues Lied - …a new song, 2 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
22 November 1985 |
...ein neues Lied - …a new song, 3 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
29 November 1985 |
...ein neues Lied - …a new song, 4 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
18 December 1985 |
...ein neues Lied - …a new song, 5 |
Cairns Memorial Church, East Melbourne |
|
23 February 1986 |
Free Entertainment in Public Places - Roving Choral Concert |
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
18 April 1986 |
Isaac - Wolpe - Schumann |
Church of Mark the Evangelist, Curzon St, North Melbourne |
|
16 May 1986 |
Melbourne International Festival of Organ and Harpsichord, Closing
Concert |
Our Lady of Victories Church, Camberwell |
|
15 July 1986 |
Recital of Sacred Music, with Monteverdi Choir of Hamburg |
St Patrick's Cathedral |
|
25 July 1986 |
From Franz Liszt to Contemporary Australia, 1 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
26 July 1986 |
From Franz Liszt to Contemporary Australia, 2 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
30 July 1986 |
From Franz Liszt to Contemporary Australia, 3 |
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne |
|
1 August 1986 |
From Franz Liszt to Contemporary Australia, 4 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
1 August 1986 |
From Franz Liszt to Contemporary Australia, 5 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
3 August 1986 |
From Franz Liszt to Contemporary Australia, 6 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
12 September 1986 |
Youth Concerto Concert |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
28 September 1986 |
Spoleto Melbourne - Collins Street Mobile Concert |
Scots' Church, Collins St |
|
25 November 1986 |
Blow the Trumpet in the New Moon … |
State Library of Victoria Reading Room |
|
5 December 1986 |
Melbourne Peace vigil |
St Paul's Cathedral |
|
28 March 1987 |
Choral theatre - unanswered questions |
Fitzroy Town Hall |
|
3 April 1987 |
Pipeline, in association with Astra - From behind the unreasoning
mask |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
11 April 1987 |
Prophesies of the Sibyls |
Church of All Nations, Carlton |
|
24 July 1987 |
Third Winter Festival, 1 - Music for a large environment |
Meat Market Craft Centre, North Melbourne |
|
26 July 1987 |
Third Winter Festival, 2 - Kenneth Gaburo |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
1 August 1987 |
Third Winter Festival, 3 - Pipeline Multimedia |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
13 September 1987 |
Spoleto Festival |
Baptist Church, Collins Street |
|
26 September 1987 |
Young Composers Project |
Church of Mark the Evangelist, Curzon St, North Melbourne |
|
27 November 1987 |
Reger - Eisler - Schoenberg |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
6 March 1988 |
City of Sandringham Roving Concert |
Sandy Beach Community Centre |
|
13 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 1 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
14 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 2 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
15 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 2 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
16 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 1 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
19 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 2 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
20 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 1 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
21 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 2 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
22 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 2 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
23 April 1988 |
Making a Song and Dance, with Danceworks - program 1 |
Studio, Victorian Arts Centre |
|
13 July 1988 |
Fourth Winter Festival, in association with Pipeline, 1 |
Church of Mark the Evangelist, Curzon St, North Melbourne |
|
15 July 1988 |
Fourth Winter Festival, in association with Pipeline, 2 |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
17 July 1988 |
Fourth Winter Festival, in association with Pipeline, 3 - Eichendorff
and Byron - bicentennial poets |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
2 September 1988 |
Symposium of the International Musicological Society, closing concert |
Old Customs House |
|
1 October 1988 |
Young Composers' Project |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
12 December 1988 |
Taverner - Dallapiccola |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
5 May 1989 |
North Brunswick Choral Recital |
St Margaret Mary's Church, Brunswick |
|
6 August 1989 |
Fifth Astra Winter Festival, in association with Pipeline, 1 -
Polansky / Diamond - New music for voices, computer, gamelan |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
11 August 1989 |
Fifth Astra Winter Festival, in association with Pipeline, 2 -
Pipeline |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
13 August 1989 |
Fifth Astra Winter Festival, in association with Pipeline, 3 -
Requiems |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
15 October 1989 |
Young composers’ concert |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
15 December 1989 |
West Melbourne Christmas Event |
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
25 March 1990 |
Graham Hair Farewell Concert |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
25 May 1990 |
Mahler, Vienna and the 20th Century |
Old Customs House |
|
10 August 1990 |
Choir and Theatre : a Performance for Hiroshima Day |
South Melbourne Town Hall |
|
11 August 1990 |
Choir and Theatre : a Performance for Hiroshima Day |
South Melbourne Town Hall |
|
19 September 1990 |
|
Monash University Religious Centre |
|
30 September 1990 |
Young Composers' Concert |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
5 October 1990 |
Bell and Whistle Company |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
20 October 1990 |
|
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
4 November 1990 |
|
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
14 December 1990 |
Marvel not Joseph - music for Christmas |
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
18 May 1991 |
Mozart with 20th century perspectives |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
2 June 1991 |
Contemporary Australian Violin. In association with La Trobe
University Press and La Trobe University Department of Music |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
23 June 1991 |
The ABRAXAS* PROJECT in association with Astra |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
19 July 1991 |
Fantasies and Impromptus 1 |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
20 July 1991 |
Fantasies and Impromptus 2 |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
28 July 1991 |
From Africa to the Kitchen Sink |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
6 September 1991 |
Choir, percussion, brass |
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
15 September 1991 |
Astra contemporary performers |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
29 September 1991 |
The ABRAXAS* PROJECT in association with Astra |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
1 December 1991 |
|
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
13 December 1991 |
Canon for peace |
Sacred Heart Church, St Kilda |
|
11 April 1992 |
|
St John's Lutheran Church, Southgate |
|
3 May 1992 |
Changing the Subject - The Machine for Making Sense |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
17 May 1992 |
Parade |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
29 August 1992 |
|
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Middle Park |
|
6 September 1992 |
Elm Street Spring Series, 1 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
4 October 1992 |
Elm Street Spring Series, 2 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
1 November 1992 |
Elm Street Spring Series, 3 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
7 November 1992 |
Astra in association with La Trobe University Music Department |
Scienceworks Museum |
|
6 December 1992 |
Elm Street Spring Series, 4 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
18 December 1992 |
Rorate Coeli |
St Monica's Church, Moonee Ponds |
|
29 May 1993 |
|
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
5 June 1993 |
Playing Field |
Studio A, Gore St, Fitzroy |
|
5 September 1993 |
Sound Patterns |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
17 October 1993 |
Cinéma |
Central Hall, Brunswick St, Fitzroy |
|
14 November 1993 |
Art and waste in concert - Playing Field |
Scienceworks Museum |
|
5 December 1993 |
Young composers and performers |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
10 December 1993 |
Near to far |
Sacred Heart Church, St Kilda |
|
10 April 1994 |
Two up - a play on playing |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
5 June 1994 |
Footfalls |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
18 September 1994 |
Performance Forum no. 1 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
25 September 1994 |
Performance Forum no. 2 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
26 November 1994 |
|
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
14 December 1994 |
Piano recital - Michael Kieran Harvey |
Iwaki Auditorium, ABC Southbank Centre |
|
8 April 1995 |
|
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
27 May 1995 |
|
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
16 July 1995 |
Keith Humble memorial concert |
Northcote Town Hall |
|
1 October 1995 |
Electro-acoustic compositions and choral improvisations at the Meat
Market |
Meat Market Craft Centre, North Melbourne |
|
12 November 1995 |
Choral mobiles: from mediaeval pilgrim songs to contemporary
Melbourne |
Collins St Promenade Concert. I. ANZ Tower. II. Atrium. III.
Cathedral Room |
|
16 December 1995 |
|
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
17 December 1995 |
|
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
14 April 1996 |
|
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
16 June 1996 |
Footscray-Yarraville City Band and the Astra Choir |
Central Hall, Brunswick St, Fitzroy |
|
22 September 1996 |
Eine kleine Gamelan/Computer Music |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
13 October 1996 |
Astra Performance Forum 1996 - New Voices |
St Mary's Anglican Church, North Melbourne |
|
7 December 1996 |
|
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
8 December 1996 |
|
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
16 March 1997 |
|
St Mary of the Angels Basilica, Geelong |
|
15 April 1997 |
|
Heidelberg Town Hall |
|
15 June 1997 |
|
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
21 June 1997 |
|
Northcote Town Hall |
|
22 June 1997 |
|
Northcote Town Hall |
|
26 September 1997 |
|
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
5 October 1997 |
|
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
12 October 1997 |
|
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
16 November 1997 |
|
Brunswick Town Hall |
|
6 December 1997 |
|
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
7 December 1997 |
|
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
31 May 1998 |
Never - Poems, Songs, Choruses |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
1 June 1998 |
Never - Poems, Songs, Choruses |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
20 June 1998 |
|
Northcote Town Hall |
|
28 September 1998 |
|
Iwaki Auditorium, ABC Southbank Centre |
|
29 September 1998 |
|
Iwaki Auditorium, ABC Southbank Centre |
|
12 October 1998 |
|
Central Hall, Brunswick St, Fitzroy |
|
6 November 1998 |
|
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
6 December 1998 |
|
Northcote Town Hall |
|
30 May 1999 |
Force - Western Wind - Westerlings |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
31 May 1999 |
Force - Western Wind - Westerlings |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
1 August 1999 |
new flute perspectives |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
11 September 1999 |
human figure - death of a tyrant - choral scenes |
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
12 September 1999 |
human figure - death of a tyrant - choral scenes |
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
3 October 1999 |
humble - bagatelles, cabaret, orpheus |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
10 October 1999 |
Performance Forum - Noise Orchestra - Last Music from La Trobe
University |
Northcote Town Hall |
|
12 December 1999 |
Goethe 250 - Schiller 240 - Weimar 80 |
Northcote Town Hall |
|
17 September 2000 |
Bach - Busoni - Celan |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
12 November 2000 |
flutes - clarinet - wind quartet |
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
12 November 2000 |
ursonata - chorus poetry - amplified band |
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
10 December 2000 |
Mendelssohn - Schoenberg - Copeland - Wolpe - Humble |
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
|
8 April 2001 |
renaissance passion to solo snare drum |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
4 May 2001 |
Miles to Furphy - vocal interactions with Miles Franklin and Joseph
Furphy |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
5 May 2001 |
Miles to Furphy - vocal interactions with Miles Franklin and Joseph
Furphy |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
16 September 2001 |
two concerts of new performance, 1 |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
23 September 2001 |
two concerts of new performance, 2 |
Elm St Hall, North Melbourne |
|
4 November 2001 |
A50 - a half-centenary choirscape |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
5 November 2001 |
A50 - a half-centenary choirscape |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
16 December 2001 |
from the four ends of the earth |
St Kilda Town Hall |
|
7 April 2002 |
Passion Oratorio |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
19 May 2002 |
Cities of the Mind |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
20 May 2002 |
Cities of the Mind |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
25 August 2002 |
Battle Piece - Stefan Wolpe Centenary I |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
26 August 2002 |
Battle Piece - Stefan Wolpe Centenary I |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
15 December 2002 |
In a state of flight - Stefan Wolpe Centenary II |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
18 March 2003 |
From procession to sound-poem: a landscape of collective song -
Victorian Seniors Festival 2000 |
Assembly Hall, Collins St |
|
3 May 2003 |
in association with Melbourne Autumn Music Festival |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
|
22 June 2003 |
Grainger, Grieg, new Australian, new Scandinavian |
Queen's Hall, Parliament House |
|
7 September 2003 |
Humble, Berg, Schumann - nocturnes, late songs of early morning |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
|
14 December 2003 |
Tropes to Processed Bells |
St Ignatius' Church, Richmond |
|
3 April 2004 |
media vita in morte sumus |
Eleventh Hour Theatre, Fitzroy |
program notes |
|
4 April 2004 |
media vita in morte sumus |
Eleventh Hour Theatre, Fitzroy |
program notes |
|
16 May 2004 |
darkly, leggiero, legato - Carl Vine at 50 - the Piano Works |
BMW Edge, Federation Square |
program notes |
|
23 May 2004 |
a day, a night, an hour - Carl Vine at 50 - concertato: choir &
ensemble |
Williamstown Town Hall |
program notes |
|
24 October 2004 |
Organ concert in transit (with voices) |
St Mary's Anglican Church, North Melbourne |
program notes |
|
31 October 2004 |
Fiesta - recorder, ensemble and choir |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
program notes |
|
19 December 2004 |
Christmas oratorio |
Clifton Arts Centre, Uniting Church, Richmond |
program notes |
|
8 May 2005 |
Tenebrae, stella maris |
St Mary Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne |
program notes |
|
21 August 2005 |
Sonatas, songs, choral theatres |
North Melbourne Town Hall |
program notes |
|
2 October 2005 |
Electric wisdom |
Fitzroy Town Hall |
program notes |
|
15 October 2005 |
Spell against sorrow |
Eleventh Hour Theatre, Fitzroy |
program notes |
|
16 October 2005 |
Spell against sorrow |
Eleventh Hour Theatre, Fitzroy |
program notes |
|
30 October 2005 |
A New Mass Setting |
St Mark's Church, Fitzroy |
program notes |
|
11 December 2005 |
Christmas oratorio |
Clifton Arts Centre, Uniting Church, Richmond |
program notes |
|
16 March 2006 |
Stella Maris/Tenebrae |
St Mary of the Angels Basilica, Geelong |
program notes |
|
23 April 2006 |
Passion/Book of Hours/Hebrew Ballads |
Clifton Arts Centre, Uniting Church, Richmond |
program notes |
|
4 June 2006 |
Electric songs/Steeples and Mountains/Sea pieces |
Fitzroy Town Hall |
program notes |
|
5 November 2006 |
Catherine Schieve - recital |
Fitzroy Town Hall, Reading Room |
program notes |
|
19 November 2006 |
Jerzy Kozlowski - recital |
Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne |
program notes |
|
10 December 2006 |
Elisabeth Lutyens - commemorations |
Northcote Town Hall |
program notes |
|
22 April 2007 |
Songs of imprisonment |
Holy Rosary Church, Kensington |
program notes |
|
26 May 2007 |
Dissonant consonances |
Lithuanian House, North Melbourne |
program notes |
|
27 May 2007 |
Dissonant consonances |
Lithuanian House, North Melbourne |
program notes |
|
9 September 2007 |
In that time … |
Fitzroy Town Hall |
program notes |
|
4 November 2007 |
old or new, abstract or true |
Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park |
program notes |
|
9 December 2007 |
Night voices |
Northcote Town Hall |
program notes |