News location:

Canberra Today 13°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Standing ovation salutes the composing Dooleys

Teenage composer William Dooley takers a bow with conductor Rowan Harvey-Martin. Photo: Peter Hislop

Music / “Beyond…” composed by William and Michael Dooley. The Llewellyn Choir conducted by Rowan Harvey-Martin. At Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, November 22. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

LLEWELLYN Choir’s latest concert featured three works by two members of Canberra’s musical Dooley family – “7 Prayers of the Saviour” was an oratorio by up-and-coming 14-year-old William Dooley and there were two works by his father, Michael Dooley, “The Land That Is Very Far Off” and an oratorio, “Perpetua”. Both oratorios were world premieres.

The concert commenced with Michael Dooley’s “The Land That Is Very Far Off”. Described as a Celtic rhapsody for violin and piano, it was performed by Timothy Wickham on violin and the orchestral ensemble with Michael Dooley himself on piano. It was a sweeping, melodic work of great beauty, wistful and nostalgic and it was especially well-played by Wickham.

Rowan Harvey-Martin then conducted William Dooley’s oratorio, “7 Prayers of the Saviour” with the Llewellyn Choir, four vocal soloists and the ensemble. This ambitious work, with recognisable influences from composers of the past, commenced with rather tentative singing by the choir.

It was most successful in the simpler vocal lines of “Prayer For Lazarus” and “Thy Will Be Done”, sung very well by bass Andrew Fysh.

The opportunity to hear his work fully produced would have been of enormous help for this young composer on his journey to finding his own distinctive style in the years to come.

Composer Michael Dooley at the piano for the performance of his work by the Llewellyn Choir. Photo: Peter Hislop

After interval, the choir presented Michael Dooley’s new oratorio, “Perpetua”. The story of Perpetua is from the oldest existing document known to be written by a Christian woman, “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity”. It was a good choice for the oratorio as it has a strong and emotionally gripping storyline. It tells of an educated woman who converted to Christianity and was ultimately martyred for her beliefs in the year AD202.

Michael Dooley produced a work of great beauty throughout. From the haunting and atmospheric setting of the opening, “Soli Deo Gloria”, the work progressed from one highlight to another. His underscoring of the recitatives was especially notable.

Emma Griffiths performs with the Llewellyn Choir. Photo: Peter Hislop

The beautiful, clear soprano of soloist, Emma Griffiths, who sang the role of Perpetua, was most effective in her recitatives and soared above the choir in the “Agnus Dei”. Her singing of “Confitibor Tibi” towards the end was heartfelt and memorable.

Mezzo soprano Veronica Thwaites-Brown was a standout with her singing of the very moving “Felicity” lullaby. Tenor Dan Walker was in fine voice with his singing of “Saturus Vision” and bass Andrew Fysh sang an excellent Narrator 2. He gave an especially well-judged level of drama to his singing in “Day Of Victory”.

The choir sang the work with great confidence and clarity. Rowan Harvey-Martin conducted the whole work extremely well. The standing ovation at the end of the performance was well-deserved.

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Review

Review

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews