A monumental ensemble of more than 500 musicians from The University of Queensland and Brisbane high schools will perform two classic pieces this month.
The UQ Symphony Orchestra and UQ Chorale will be joined by choirs from Brisbane Boys’ College, Canterbury College, St Peters Lutheran College, The Gap State High School and St John’s Cathedral Choristers.
The enormous ensemble, directed by Warwick Potter and Graeme Morton from UQ’s School of Music and featuring emerging Queensland musical talent, will perform at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre Concert Hall in a two-hour concert from 2pm on 31 May.
Choirmaster Graeme Morton said the opening classic, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, had one of the “most arresting and exciting openings” in all classical music.
“O Fortuna has been adopted by popular culture and used in more than 50 movies,” Mr Morton said.
“This concert takes the audience past this amazing opening and into the wonderful and enticing world of medieval poetry, set to music by Carl Orff, one of modern music’s great tunesmiths.
“The performance covers a wide subject range, as familiar in the 13th Century as they are today, including the power of fortune and fate, courtship and romantic love and the desires and dangers of drinking, gluttony and gambling,” he said.
Brisbane Boys’ College Director of Choral and Vocal Studies Brett Holland said the ensemble gave his students an opportunity to access and experience large format works under professional conditions.
“The Collegians Choir is very excited to be undertaking this iconic work,” Mr Holland said.
The ensemble will present 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story’s Symphonic Dances by composer Leonard Bernstein.
Mr Morton said the Symphonic Dances drew on nine of musical sections and arias from West Side Story in a 24-minute rhythmic tour de force.
“Scored for a large orchestra, it shows the brilliance of Bernstein’s compositional talent, with each section given a chance to shine,” he said.
Tickets for the 31 May performance are $30 for adults and $18 for concessions, and are available through QTIX online or by calling 136 246.
Media: Graeme Morton, g.morton@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 3500, Thorin Kerr, concerts@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 3952, or Belinda Brear (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), b.brear@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 1634.
