Chamber choir returns for concert

THE Bendigo Chamber Choir are warming up their vocal cords for their first standalone concert since 2019.

On Sunday, 28 August at 3pm, the choir will descend on Christ Church Castlemaine​ to celebrate the live of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Bendigo Chamber Choir conductor Michael Bottomley said the concert is in honour of the 150th anniversary of the composer, and features pieces such as Mass in G Minor and Five Mystical Songs.

“[Five mystical songs is] set to four George Herbert poems and they are for solo bass,” Bottomley said.

“The choir provides backing chorus for at least three of the five mystical songs, and then the choir sings the fifth one. It’s a very rousing finish to the set of songs.

“Rehearsals are going very well. It’s demanding music, Mass in G Minor is for double choir, that’s two choirs singing at the same time, and then we have soloists on top of that.

“It’s rather complex work and it’s taking a lot of rehearsal time but it’s coming together really well.”

The choir is made up of 26 singers, with organist Daniel Clarke and pianist John Tungyep accompanying. Their last performance was at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival earlier this year.

“This is our first standalone concert as a choir since Christmas 2019,” Bottomley said.

“Everyone’s very enthusiastic, there’s been trepidation… but everyone’s still very keen to make some music particularly through singing.”

For tickets head to bit.ly/3ppYRUC.