Messiah
8pm Saturday 4 December
QPAC Concert Hall
Conductor Dr Geoffrey Lancaster
Soprano Jane Edwards
Mezzo soprano Victoria Wallace
Tenor Jaewoo Kim
Bass Joshua Bloom
Canticum Chamber Choir Directed by Emily Cox
Handel Messiah
To conclude our series dedicated to the Baroque we present Handel’s timeless masterpiece Messiah. This chamber ensemble of Baroque musicians from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the authoritative direction of Dr Lancaster restores the ambience and spirit of this great oratorio as it might have been heard in the mid-18th century.
Canticum Chamber Choir
Canticum Chamber Choir is an independent semi-professional ensemble founded by Emily Cox. The singers are skilled musicians, some who have formal musical training and others who are professionals in other fields. The ensemble is known for its versatility and performances of a broad and unusual repertoire, and is a flagship for the chamber choir art form in Australia. Since its formation in 1995, this ensemble has been an integral part of Brisbane's music scene. Its frequent collaborations with professional artistic companies include The Queensland Orchestra, the Queensland Ballet, and the Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as broadcasts on ABC Classic FM, and 4MBS. Canticum has also performed in numerous major music festivals, such as the Brisbane Festival. A highlight of its history was its invitation in 2005 to perform in the prestigious 7th World Symposium on Choral Music held in Kyoto, with a subsequent tour of regional Japan. Canticum has released several CD recordings, including In Paradisum, a Celebration of Australian Choral Music. Information about Canticum can be found at www.canticum.org.au.
Emily Cox is known as a leader in Australian choral music. Founding Music Director of Canticum Chamber Choir, she is also Music Director of the Brisbane Chorale. She is Choir Director at historic St. Mary's Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point, as well as Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, where she teaches conducting and directs the Conservatorium Chamber Choir. A graduate of Dartmouth College (USA), and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Ms Cox works regularly overseas with noted specialists in her field and is known nationally for her work as a festival and workshop director, adjudicator and choral educator.
