Musica Viva Australia is excited to announce the upcoming tour of The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, renowned globally for its exceptional choral performances. The tour will commence in Melbourne on July 21 and include performances in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, and conclude in Perth on August 5. The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge Set for Australian Tour with Musica Viva
Highlights of the Tour
One of the tour’s central features is the commissioning of “Charlotte,” a new composition by Australian composer Damian Barbeler. The piece is based on Judith Nangala Crispin’s award-winning poem “On finding Charlotte in the Anthropological Record.” Crispin, a proud Bpangerang woman, delves into themes of identity and ancestry, fostering a dialogue between British choral tradition and Australia’s ancient cultures.
Judith Nangala Crispin’s Journey
Crispin’s poem stems from her family’s concealed history of dispossession. She spent 20 years researching her roots, eventually creating the poem after discovering photos of her family through an old man she met. “This poem just fell out of me,” Crispin shared. “I felt like I can’t be free if I don’t tell the truth about my family.”
Collaboration and Significance
Initially apprehensive about setting her poem to music, Crispin soon recognized the collaboration’s importance. “It’s easy for people to say ‘my family didn’t cause any massacres so I have nothing to be accountable for’,” she noted. “But many in Australia have been cut off from their own story because of what England did.” She appreciates that King’s College was willing to engage in this sensitive conversation, acknowledging the shared burden of history.
Musical Program
The tour will also feature Stravinsky’s Mass for choir and double wind quintet, performed by ten top Australian instrumentalists alongside the Choir, and Maurice Duruflé’s monumental Requiem, enhanced by the grand organs of prestigious venues like Sydney Opera House and Adelaide Town Hall.
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Founded in the fifteenth century by King Henry VI, The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge comprises 16 boy choristers and 14 male undergraduate choristers. Artistic Director Paul Kildea expressed enthusiasm for the return of Director of Music Daniel Hyde and the Choir, following their sold-out 2019 tour with Musica Viva Australia. Celebrated conductor and organist Daniel Hyde leads the ensemble, ensuring seamless cohesion and precision.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the tour are now available via the Musica Viva website. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the world-renowned Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, in a performance that promises to be both culturally and musically enriching.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Musica Viva website.
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