“OLD Songs, New Songs, Shared Songs,” in Llewellyn Hall yesterday, presented a much varied program of Australian music. While the Song Company, guest choirs and conductor Roland Peelman were consistently excellent, the repertoire itself often failed to reach the same standard.

The concert began and ended very well. Andrew Ford’s elegant song cycle “Australian Aphorisms” was an absolute delight, with its pointillistic phrases, razor-sharp articulation and controlled dynamic arches. This work, which also graced the Canberra International Music Festival, exemplifies the high standard of Australian composition and Peelman’s direction enhanced its extraordinarily subtle colours.

The Song Company were joined by the Oriana Chorale for a series of folk-settings by younger composers. Expanding their ranks with the choirs Con Voci and Leichardt Espresso Chorus, The Song Company continued its Australiana theme with local arrangements of “Click Goes the Shears,” “Moreton Bay” and “Waltzing Matilda.”

One cannot get around the fact that there were some frankly embarrassing moments in these folktune arrangements – the attempt by bel canto singers to rap in “Click Goes the Shears,” for example, or the equally cringeworthy inclusion of Aboriginal chant, sticks and pseudo-didgeridoo in “Waltzing Matilda,” presented by all-white singers to an all-white audience. Nevertheless, Peelman, the choristers and soloists delivered a very good performance given the limitations of repertoire.

After interval, the program returned to its opening excellence with Martin Wesley-Smith’s “Four Songs.” Performed by four different soloists from the Song Cycle, and accompanied superbly by Roland Peelman, these cabaret songs were notable for their charm and humour.

The absolute highlight of the afternoon, however, was undoubtedly Timothy Hansen’s “Howls of the House”, a cantata with libretto by Hal Judge. Hansen’s humorous take on political life, coupled accomplished piano writing with an exploration of choral and soloistic timbres. At times almost Vaudeville, Hansen evoked shades of Kurt Weill and pre-war Berlin cabaret. His light compositional touch provided a perfect aesthetic match for Judge’s clever satire.

A lexicon of political insults, Judge’s libretto moves from the pronouncement “those opposite could not run a tart shop” (Baritone), to “He is all tip and no iceberg” (Alto), and “his views are those of a painted perfumed gigolo” (Soprano) – before culminating in a tenor/soprano duet on the text “Minnow! Hillbilly! Carpet Bagger! Suck Hole! Dolt! Charlatan! Lummox! Drover’s Dog! Mud Slinger! Idiot! Snollygoster! Moron! Tosser! Fizzy Drink! Hooplehead! Dumbo! Liar!”

And so the concert ended with an Australia the whole audience could immediately recognise. The Song company is to be commended on premiering this extraordinary collaborative work and for supporting young and emerging Australian composers.