Astra's first concert for 2015 celebrates the 80th year of Melbourne composer Helen Gifford with works both new and old from her output.
<p>Church of All Nations <br>180 Palmerston St <br>Carlton</p>
Tickets
For tickets call Astra on (03) 9326 5424, or
Concert Head:
Phoebe Green, solo viola
The Astra Choir with speakers, solo singers and instrumental ensemble conducted by John McCaughey
Helen Gifford, Choral Scenes. The Western Front World War I (1999) for speakers, soloists, choir and ensemble - flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, tuba, 3 percussion, celeste, violin, cello, contrabass, organ
Concert Support:
Choral Scenes from 1999 is the largest of several works composed for Astra by Helen Gifford over the last 50 years. It is unique in its particular form, creating an environment of choir and an array of instruments, including tuba and percussion, around 17 poems from the Western Front, World War 1. The texts, in English, French and German reflect both the disaster of the experience and the highest quality writing of the era
Concert Head:
Helen Gifford, Desperation for solo viola (2014) - first performance
Concert Support:
Desperation was composed in 2014 for solo violist Phoebe Green, and is launched as a published score at this concert
Concert Head:
Alexander Kastalsky, Requiem for Fallen Brothers (1916, arranged by Graham Hair 2014) soloists, choir and string quintet - first Australian performance
Concert Support:
Alexander Kastalsky's Requiem for Fallen Brothers from 1916 also embraces multiple traditions of language, liturgy and style, an idealistic vision of East and West from the former student of Tchaikovsky. It was arranged as a version with string quintet for the Russkaya Cappella choir in Scotland in 2014 by the Australian composer Graham Hair
Concert Head:
Vlad-Răzvan Baciu, Ascensio per tonos - ante crucis (2008) for 12 voice choir - first performance