Combined choirs to raise their voices

THE Bendigo Chorale will again be joining forces with Melbourne’s Glen Eira Choir for a performance in early June.

The two groups collaborated successfully last year and this time classical music lovers will be treated to works by Joseph Haydn and Josef Rheinberger, along with psalms by Leonard Bernstein.

“The Bendigo Chorale is the longest-standing choir in Bendigo and has been presenting choir music for over 70 years,” said president David Wright.

“Our choir director runs the Glen Eira Choir in Melbourne as well as the Bendigo Chorale, and is combining the two choirs together to present this magnificent program of high-class classical singing.

“We’ll have a 60-voice combined choir which will be quite spectacular. This is classical music at the highest level.”

As part of the performance the combined choirs will perform a missa brevis – a shortened composition by Haydn, and a stabat mater – a hymn about the crucifixion of Jesus by Rheinberger.

Mr Wright said different pieces will appeal to varied tastes.

“For me, I enjoy the Haydn,” he said. “A bit like Bach’s music, it’s very straightforward as far as it’s got a regular predictability about it, whereas the Chichester psalms are quite different.

The performance will be held on Saturday, 3 June at St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral at 2.30pm.

Tickets can be purchased for $30 at the Capital box office, via [email protected] or at the door. People under 15 years old can attend for free.