Music / “Out and Loud Gala Concert”, at Llewellyn Hall, October 27. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE
IN a massive organisational feat, the host city, Canberra, presented a triumphant choral concert utilising the talents of nine LGBTIQ+ choirs from around Australia and overseas.
All choirs performed individually, before massing together for an exhilarating grand finale, brilliantly conducted by Stephen Leek. Guest soloists Sarahlouise Owens and Christopher Lincoln Bogg joined the massed choir for the final piece, “Fall On Me”, beautifully arranged by Canberra’s own Leonard Weiss, the audience erupting in a joyous standing ovation.
But it was the choir from Timor-Leste, Lian Esperansa, who stole the show.
Newly formed, this was their first major performance anywhere in the world. Numbering just eight singers, plus their conductor and pianist, they sang with great passion and beauty, excellent voice projection and diction and superb harmonies with finely balanced dynamic shading. Some percussion instruments added a rich Portuguese and Calypso feel to their songs, also eliciting a standing ovation from the audience.
GALS Rainbow Choir from Auckland opened the event with a solo chant from someone in the audience, the choir then seamlessly joining in with stylish and mellifluous harmonies. The highlight of their set was the Maori folk song “Te Iwi E”.
Brisbane Pride Choir followed. Their a cappella rendition of “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim was serenely beautiful.
Fiji’s Rainbow Free and Equal Choir were the smallest of the ensembles, numbering just four singers. With excellent projection they opened and closed with two Fijian folk songs, with a centrepiece solo island dance sequence entitled “Seasea”.
To close the first half, the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus performed three pieces. Of particular note were the sensual and supportive accompaniments by pianist Marc Alexander. Their finale was a very moving and highly polished a cappella performance of “Kyrie” by Richard Page, Stephen George and John Lang.
Sydney’s large Gay and Lesbian Choir opened the second half, delivering a confident and rich sound. “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs” by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers had the audience in hysterics, before closing their set with a moving rendition of “What If Truth is All We Have?” by Anne Hampton Callaway, the piece fading peacefully to just three counter-tenor voices.
The Gay and Lesbian Singers of Western Australia charmed the audience with the highlight of their set, “Rolling in the Deep” by Paul Epworth and Adele Adkins. Pianist Sammy McSweeny’s accompaniments were moving and supportive.
The last of the Australian choirs was Canberra’s own, massive, Canberra Gay and Lesbian Qwire. With excellent intonation and rich harmonies, they shone most brightly with “Sudden Light” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Robert H. Young. Pianist Jessica Stewart excelled with her sensitive and supportive accompaniments.
In a concert that lasted three hours with one interval, my feeling on leaving the venue was simply, “It’s great to be alive”.
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