Music / I Sing the Birth –  Luminescence Chamber Singers and Luminescence Children’s Choir. At Wesley Uniting Church, December 14. Reviewed by GRAHAM McDONALD.

The focus of this concert was the world premiere of a new Christmas song cycle by Andrew Ford.

Commissioned by Luminescence and working in the same sort of way as his acclaimed Red Dirt Hymns, Ford has taken 10 short poems or texts and set them to music for a children’s choir, accompanied by electric guitar.

The 10 texts have been set to fairly simple melodies, well suited to the abilities of a young choir and often suggesting folk songs, Protestant hymns or popular Christmas carols in their scoring. Occasionally Ford has thrown in an unexpected harmony or two for the singers, but mostly has left it to Theo Carbo’s electric guitar to add the harmonic interest as well as setting the rhythmic pulse and pitch. It is a clever way to use a varied and inventive accompaniment to support the singers without the old-fashioned pitchpipe or keyboard.

What was most impressive was that the choir of nearly 20 early teenage singers performed this entire 30-minute plus song cycle entirely from memory. Their pitch was precise, their timing was impeccable and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. The solo spots from several of the singers were assured and confident. Luminescence artistic director AJ America can be very proud of her work with this choir.

The opening work of the concert was a piece by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt for three singers, two percussionists and organ entitled Sarah Was 90 Years Old. It is based around four beat rhythms and four note melodies and while the singing was delightful, as we have come to expect from Luminescence, as an entirety the work holds little appeal.

Your reviewer was reminded of suffering through experimental 1970s theatre and pretentious prog-rock from the same era all done with dull and earnest seriousness.