Music / The Australian Voices. At Wesley Uniting Church, September 26. Reviewed by GRAHAM McDONALD.

The Australian Voices is a choral ensemble of 29 singers directed by John Rotar.

The ensemble is based in Brisbane, although it includes singers from further afield. It is an auditioned choir, for singers over 17 and who have finished high school.

This current group of singers looks rather younger than those who performed here three years ago, but the quality of performance noted at that concert certainly has not diminished. They sing almost entirely from memory, an impressive achievement for an hour of complex harmonies and shifting time signatures.

The ensemble has a policy of only performing modern Australian choral music, championing an “Australian Sound”, however one might define this. This concert featured the work of seven composers, including three by artistic director Rotar and another from Margaret Tesch-Muller a member of the alto section.

This piece – And There Was No More Sea – using fragments of text from the biblical Book of Revelations and poet Christina Rossetti, was slow and reflective. A most charming piece of music and a highlight of the concert.

Another highlight was a setting of a Ukrainian folk song by John Rotar. This was scored with big sweeping chords and full of Slavic gloom.

The 29 singers performed with precision and accuracy throughout with excellent control of dynamics. Solo spots were shared around and sung with confidence and the singers all looked as though they were enjoying themselves.

The focus on only performing contemporary Australian material does lead to a degree of sameness to some of the music, but perhaps this is inescapable. Some consideration could also be given to the spoken introductions to the music not sounding like carefully scripted politically correct lectures.

Whatever the limitations of locking themselves into a narrowly defined genre, this is a fine group of singers, skilfully and enthusiastically led, exploring and pushing the boundaries of Australian music.

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