Graduate Singers to Return to Elder Hall With REQUIEM Concert in August
Mozart’s work is one of the most famous compositions in Western classical repertoire, known both for the intensity and beauty of its music.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jul. 03, 2023
Graduate Singers will return to the newly refurbished Elder Hall on Saturday 5 August 7:30 pm to perform their second concert of 2023 entitled Requiem. The 50 strong choir – known affectionately as ‘Grads’ – will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem, as well as US composer Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna.
Famously left unfinished at Mozart’s death, his student Franz Xaver Süssmayr wrote a completed edition, which Grads will perform. An orchestra will accompany the choir, as well as four soloists well known to Adelaide audiences – soprano Brooke Window, mezzo soprano Emma Woehle, tenor Kit Tonkin, and baritone Alex Roose.
Mozart’s work is one of the most famous compositions in Western classical repertoire, known both for the intensity and beauty of its music, as well as the mystery and tragedy surrounding its composition – allegedly commissioned by an enigmatic messenger in the night.
‘It’s the composer’s final work, and a culmination of all his brilliance – a true masterpiece, with a hugely varied emotional landscape,’ says Karl Geiger, the choir’s Director of Music. ‘It’s thrilling, tender, mournful, consoling, and full of dread, in turns. The Requiem has captivated the imagination of people for decades, and even if only half the stories Hollywood tells about it are true, it would still be a monumental achievement!’
The second work in the concert is Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna. Written two centuries after Mozart’s Requiem, following a family loss, the emotional world of the American composer’s piece is more accepting, even optimistic, when compared to Mozart. A balm of consolation in the wake of a time of grief, it seeks to answer many of the same questions Mozart’s work poses, but appears to come to a more uplifting conclusion.
‘There are clear similarities between the works – both composers utilise combined choral and orchestral forces, setting much the same text – but they are also very different,” says Geiger. ’The drama and depth of the Mozart are the perfect foil for the radiance and refinement of the Lauridsen. It’s a chance for our audiences to hear how different composers approach similar themes, for us to embrace our range as a choir, and to celebrate two incredible pieces of music from across the ages.’
The choir is looking forward to returning to the recently refurbished Elder Hall, which features a particularly rich acoustic for choir and orchestra. Framed by the iconic sight of the Hall’s stunning Casavant Frères organ, this concert is an opportunity to experience one of the most glorious works in the Western musical canon, right here in the heart of Adelaide.
Tickets are available from www.graduatesingers.com.au and at the door.
About Graduate Singers
Graduate Singers, or ‘Grads’, is one of Adelaide’s finest choirs (The Advertiser) and has been a dynamic member of the vibrant local choral music scene for 40 years. Grads has received critical acclaim as an exponent of fine choral music and enjoys a reputation for high standards of excellence throughout every aspect of presentation and performance.
Grads is committed to presenting high quality, accessible and diverse concerts, keeping the choral tradition alive and fresh. Grads prides itself on its versatility, being equally at home with large-scale choral standards as with intimate chamber works. Grads consists of some of Adelaide’s most experienced choral singers, many of whom frequently sing in major choral productions. With strong ties to the local music community, Grads regularly collaborates with other artists and organisations, established and emerging.
In addition to presenting its own concert series, Grads maintains a busy schedule of freelance engagements. Recent highlights include collaborations with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra such as Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (2015), Last Night of the Proms (2016, 2019), Scotland the Brave (2017), Carmina Burana as part of the 2021 Festival of Orchestra, and the 2021 world premiere of Nativity, commissioned from Australian composer Richard Mills, alongside Adelaide Chamber Singers and Young Adelaide Voices. In March 2022, Graduate Singers was thrilled to join the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Elder Conservatorium Chorale to perform Prayer for the Living, the Adelaide Festival’s closing event, presenting works by Lili Boulanger, Francis Poulenc, and Pēteris Vasks.
Upcoming engagements include joining the Elder Conservatorium Chorale and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for two performances of Christmas Unwrapped, conducted by Guy Noble and featuring soloist Desiree Frahn.
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