Words of great composers to be given full voice

A PERFORMANCE of music spanning two centuries is coming to Ballarat, sung by the Melbourne Bach Choir.

Entitled Serenity, the performance will include the Requiem and Four Motets on Gregorian Themes by composer Maurice Duruflé.

There will also be works by Bach, Messiaen, Brahms, Fauré, and Rheinberger.

“Bach has been the focus of our music concert ever since with something in most concerts and he’s to many the greatest composer of all time,” said Melbourne Bach Choir artistic director Rick Prakhoff.

“We called it serenity because all of the works are really beautiful, and the Requiem is beautifully gentle.”

The Melbourne Bach Choir formed in the mid-2000s with the aim of share the work of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

“We formed in late 2005 to perform one of Bach’s St Matthew Passion and we did repeat performances of that because it just wasn’t being performed enough in Victoria, hence we called ourselves the Melbourne Bach Choir,” said Prakhoff.

The upcoming Ballarat performance offers an opportunity for locals to hear world redound music.

“The audience can hear some truly beautiful music by some of the greatest composers of all time and it’s a whole lot of my favourite pieces for an accompanied and an unaccompanied choir,” said Prakhoff.

“I think Ballarat has a really strong tradition of music making and its always good to mix up what the locals have to offer and what you can bring from Melbourne and surrounds.

“It’s also wonderful for us to get out and meet new audiences and sing for them.

“It’s a very warm and welcoming audience and it seems to grow every time we return.”

The concert will take place on Saturday 24 June at Ballarat Central Uniting Church and to book tickets visit mbc.asn.au/mbc-concerts.