Coming up in 2021...
Homeland - with Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra
Sunday 18 July, 3.00pm
VPAC, Somerville House, 17 Graham St, South Brisbane
Tickets via the website below
Australian conductor Simon Hewett has recently returned to his homeland in his new role as Artistic Director of the Queensland Youth Orchestras. BPO is thrilled to work with Simon for the very first time in this stunning program featuring the divine voices of Canticum Chamber Choir under the direction of Emily Cox.
Elgar’s meditative adagio for strings, harp and organ ‘Sospiri’ (sighs) opens the concert before orchestra and choir combine for Sibelius’ deeply moving cantata ‘My Own Land’ – an utterly sublime yet largely unknown work from the Finnish composer’s oeuvre. We conclude the afternoon with Elgar’s celebrated ‘Variations on an Original Theme’ (better known as the Enigma Variations) – musical sketches depicting the composer’s friends and acquaintances and famously featuring the stirring adagio, Nimrod.
www.bpo.org.au/homeland
Sunday 18 July, 3.00pm
VPAC, Somerville House, 17 Graham St, South Brisbane
Tickets via the website below
Australian conductor Simon Hewett has recently returned to his homeland in his new role as Artistic Director of the Queensland Youth Orchestras. BPO is thrilled to work with Simon for the very first time in this stunning program featuring the divine voices of Canticum Chamber Choir under the direction of Emily Cox.
Elgar’s meditative adagio for strings, harp and organ ‘Sospiri’ (sighs) opens the concert before orchestra and choir combine for Sibelius’ deeply moving cantata ‘My Own Land’ – an utterly sublime yet largely unknown work from the Finnish composer’s oeuvre. We conclude the afternoon with Elgar’s celebrated ‘Variations on an Original Theme’ (better known as the Enigma Variations) – musical sketches depicting the composer’s friends and acquaintances and famously featuring the stirring adagio, Nimrod.
www.bpo.org.au/homeland
Photos from 2020's Bach Christmas Oratorio by Matthew Kerr, with thanks.
The Road Home - Concert Recording
After months of Covid lockdown and no singing, we were very excited to assemble for a period of physically distanced rehearsal in preparation for a short concert in August, “The Road Home”. Songs of beauty, hope and optimism were chosen, lifting our spirits, helping us to rediscover our choral voice, and offering something special to our audience of loyal supporters. “The Road Home” is an act of hope and optimism in our choral art form and the re-emergence of choral singing in the difficult times of Covid-19. We hope you enjoy this video, which was beautifully put together by Derek Powell.
After months of Covid lockdown and no singing, we were very excited to assemble for a period of physically distanced rehearsal in preparation for a short concert in August, “The Road Home”. Songs of beauty, hope and optimism were chosen, lifting our spirits, helping us to rediscover our choral voice, and offering something special to our audience of loyal supporters. “The Road Home” is an act of hope and optimism in our choral art form and the re-emergence of choral singing in the difficult times of Covid-19. We hope you enjoy this video, which was beautifully put together by Derek Powell.
This is our recording, taken from the "Soul Journey" CD, of Ian McKinley's beautiful Before the Morning Star, posted in memory of our dear friend, colleague and mentor. We will always be grateful for what Ian so generously gave us.
We hope you'll enjoy this recording of Trond Kverno's setting of Ave Maris Stella, taken from our CD "Soul Journey". The ancient text, seen by some as presenting Mary as a loving mother, seemed ideal for Mothers Day.
To make up in a small way for not being able to present our Good Friday concert, we've made excerpts from our 2002 CD recording of that year's Good Friday Musical Meditation available to listen to for free. We hope you find some solace in this lovely music.
To help you through the coming months, we intend to post some tracks from our CDs for you to listen to for free. The first is available below, the beautiful and soothing Sure on this Shining Night, by Morten Lauridsen, from our 2016 CD "Luminescence".
What people are saying about Canticum...
About Music for Holy Week, 2021
"The Good Friday concert was truly beautiful—such wonderful singing (and the cello was wonderful too), and a really varied choice of music. From the beginning to the end, it was splendid!"
Audience member, 2021
About Christmas Oratorio, 2020
"I was very moved by the Canticum concert – All the performers were of the highest calibre and the staging added interest…such a joy, the staging of an intricate production in the time of COVID."
Audience member, 2020
"Congratulations on a magnificent production of Christmas Oratorio. The chorus sounded superb and was well-balanced…I particularly enjoyed the brilliant use of colour which created contrast between the clothes of the singers and the lighting….I enjoyed the well-coordinated choreography which added interest to every scene…the music had that sense of perpetual, rhythmic motion and that feeling of driving forward which is something that I particularly enjoy in the music of JS Bach."
Audience member, 2020
"I’ve just come home on a wonderful high after experiencing this beautiful production tonight! Huge well done to all involved. I enjoyed every moment."
Audience member, 2020
About Israel in Egypt with Brisbane Chorale, 2019
"We thought the Israel in Egypt was fabulous and amazing. Great setting and acoustics. The volume control by all the singers in the choir was brilliant. The conductor did a wonderful job. We came out buzzing!"
Audience member, 2019
About Love and Mercy, 2019
"Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Canticum Choir's concert in Caloundra. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY! I felt as if I'd died and gone to heaven. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I felt as if my body was levitating to the ceiling of the church."
Audience member, 2019
About Hopes of Heaven, 2018
Yesterday afternoon I had the greatest joy to attend Canticum Chamber Choir's Hopes of Heaven Concert. I was very nearly reduced to silent tears on numerous occasions. Oh the music! The music was exquisitely moving. It was composed, sung, played, and conducted so very well. I am in awe and very proud of you all! Well done everyone indeed and thank you for such a beautiful concert!
Audience member, 2018
About Seven Last Words from the Cross, 2018
"Thank you so much for the stunning and extraordinary performance on Friday night. I can’t even find the words to describe how the performance seemed to get inside me so I was feeling as though I were part of the story. Anyway, it sure was amazing.”
Audience member, 2018
About Lagrime di San Pietro, Good Friday Musical Meditation, 2017
"What a professional group! We could put you in a concert hall in Paris or Milan and you wouldn't be out of place."
Audience member, 2017
About Women of the Pieta, Brisbane Baroque Festival, 2016
"a delightful part of the Brisbane Baroque Festival, well conceived and planned and superbly executed. As has been my previous experience, Emily draws out the best from Canticum, and on this occasion the women of the choir sang with precision and warmth. It was an interesting experience to hear the women sing Vivaldi in 4 voices – it was a delicate and rich but no less strong sound quite different from that produced by men singing the bass and tenor lines"
Canticum Follower, 2016
About Northern Light, Southern Star, 2015
"Attended afternoon concert by Canticum Chamber Choir - the last words of the James Agee poem "sure on this shining night I weep for wonder" is as good a description of their luminescent singing as any compliment I could give - congratulations to the choir and to Emily Cox"
Canticum Follower, 2015
About Dido and Aeneas, Brisbane Baroque Festival, 2015
"Of course, Purcell’s most memorable characters are the witches ... they don’t just steal the show, they hot-wire it, drive it away into a wall and then cackle about the whole thing in the pub afterwards"
Limelight Magazine Live Reviews, April 2015. See full review here
About Good Friday Musical Meditation, 2014
"..and so thank goodness for Emily Cox and her superb semi-professional Canticum Chamber Choir, now in its 20th year. The Sacred Heart Church at Rosalie was full to overflowing on Good Friday with people eager to hear some of the most sombre and moving music ever composed, ranging from the Tudor composer Thomas Tallis to the 20th century Hungarian Gyorgy Deak-Bardos and his agonising Eli Eli with its shattering choral glissandi"
Daily Review, 2015. See full review here
About Dream of Gerontius, 2014
"this performance was a testament to her influence (Emily Cox) in many directions, particularly demonstrated by her choirs, the Brisbane Chorale and Canticum Chamber Choir, whose vocal forces produced Priest’s Assistants, Angelicals, Demons, Voices on Earth and Souls in Purgatory. Precision, clarity, control and great musicality characterised their singing"
4MBS Classic FM, 2014. See full review here
"The Good Friday concert was truly beautiful—such wonderful singing (and the cello was wonderful too), and a really varied choice of music. From the beginning to the end, it was splendid!"
Audience member, 2021
About Christmas Oratorio, 2020
"I was very moved by the Canticum concert – All the performers were of the highest calibre and the staging added interest…such a joy, the staging of an intricate production in the time of COVID."
Audience member, 2020
"Congratulations on a magnificent production of Christmas Oratorio. The chorus sounded superb and was well-balanced…I particularly enjoyed the brilliant use of colour which created contrast between the clothes of the singers and the lighting….I enjoyed the well-coordinated choreography which added interest to every scene…the music had that sense of perpetual, rhythmic motion and that feeling of driving forward which is something that I particularly enjoy in the music of JS Bach."
Audience member, 2020
"I’ve just come home on a wonderful high after experiencing this beautiful production tonight! Huge well done to all involved. I enjoyed every moment."
Audience member, 2020
About Israel in Egypt with Brisbane Chorale, 2019
"We thought the Israel in Egypt was fabulous and amazing. Great setting and acoustics. The volume control by all the singers in the choir was brilliant. The conductor did a wonderful job. We came out buzzing!"
Audience member, 2019
About Love and Mercy, 2019
"Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Canticum Choir's concert in Caloundra. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY! I felt as if I'd died and gone to heaven. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I felt as if my body was levitating to the ceiling of the church."
Audience member, 2019
About Hopes of Heaven, 2018
Yesterday afternoon I had the greatest joy to attend Canticum Chamber Choir's Hopes of Heaven Concert. I was very nearly reduced to silent tears on numerous occasions. Oh the music! The music was exquisitely moving. It was composed, sung, played, and conducted so very well. I am in awe and very proud of you all! Well done everyone indeed and thank you for such a beautiful concert!
Audience member, 2018
About Seven Last Words from the Cross, 2018
"Thank you so much for the stunning and extraordinary performance on Friday night. I can’t even find the words to describe how the performance seemed to get inside me so I was feeling as though I were part of the story. Anyway, it sure was amazing.”
Audience member, 2018
About Lagrime di San Pietro, Good Friday Musical Meditation, 2017
"What a professional group! We could put you in a concert hall in Paris or Milan and you wouldn't be out of place."
Audience member, 2017
About Women of the Pieta, Brisbane Baroque Festival, 2016
"a delightful part of the Brisbane Baroque Festival, well conceived and planned and superbly executed. As has been my previous experience, Emily draws out the best from Canticum, and on this occasion the women of the choir sang with precision and warmth. It was an interesting experience to hear the women sing Vivaldi in 4 voices – it was a delicate and rich but no less strong sound quite different from that produced by men singing the bass and tenor lines"
Canticum Follower, 2016
About Northern Light, Southern Star, 2015
"Attended afternoon concert by Canticum Chamber Choir - the last words of the James Agee poem "sure on this shining night I weep for wonder" is as good a description of their luminescent singing as any compliment I could give - congratulations to the choir and to Emily Cox"
Canticum Follower, 2015
About Dido and Aeneas, Brisbane Baroque Festival, 2015
"Of course, Purcell’s most memorable characters are the witches ... they don’t just steal the show, they hot-wire it, drive it away into a wall and then cackle about the whole thing in the pub afterwards"
Limelight Magazine Live Reviews, April 2015. See full review here
About Good Friday Musical Meditation, 2014
"..and so thank goodness for Emily Cox and her superb semi-professional Canticum Chamber Choir, now in its 20th year. The Sacred Heart Church at Rosalie was full to overflowing on Good Friday with people eager to hear some of the most sombre and moving music ever composed, ranging from the Tudor composer Thomas Tallis to the 20th century Hungarian Gyorgy Deak-Bardos and his agonising Eli Eli with its shattering choral glissandi"
Daily Review, 2015. See full review here
About Dream of Gerontius, 2014
"this performance was a testament to her influence (Emily Cox) in many directions, particularly demonstrated by her choirs, the Brisbane Chorale and Canticum Chamber Choir, whose vocal forces produced Priest’s Assistants, Angelicals, Demons, Voices on Earth and Souls in Purgatory. Precision, clarity, control and great musicality characterised their singing"
4MBS Classic FM, 2014. See full review here
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