Christopher Bowen - composer/conductor

We expected that our December concert, Poetic Inspirations, would be the highlight of the SUGC choral year – it was, after all, the grand finale to a solid rehearsal and performance calendar and so should have a certain flourish and panache.

What we may not have anticipated was the intensity of the performance itself, the sheer thrill of performing an entirely new contemporary work – indeed the world premiere – by a talented composer whom we call our own, and the outpouring of enthusiasm from the audience in a sold out concert hall.

It’s not many composers, conductors, choirs or musicians who can boast a standing ovation for a performance that is completely unfamiliar to its audience. The usual concert would be a program of lovely, but perhaps familiar, music by a reasonably well known composer; and so the resulting clapping decibel would reflect the audience’s verdict based on their previous experience of past renditions. Was it better or worse than the time you heard it sung by another choir, played by finer musicians or directed by a sprightlier conductor? But this was not possible this time, as we were all in for something entirely new.

Set to poetry by the little known Australian poet Christopher Brennan, this original opus, Songs of the Heart, is a tour de force by Australian composer Christopher Bowen OAM. A highly regarded conductor, musical director and mentor, Christopher is an original and passionate composer who has no fear in drawing out the complex emotions of Brennan’s poetry, and in doing so also shows more than a little of his own character and vulnerability. And there is a generous dose of Christopher’s wry sense of humour and whimsy thrown in for good measure.

"Songs of the Heart" is a musical rollercoaster of glorious proportions! In as much as each poem tells a story, Christopher's music brings each poem to technicolour life.

There was the thunderously complex orchestration of My Heart Was Wandering in the Sands, calm resignation and acceptance of I am So Deep in Day, happy playfulness and adventure in It Is So Long Ago and in I am Shut out of Mine Own Heart, longing for a lost love taking us from gentle pining to the hopefulness of spring and back again. And is there a terrifying, spirited magic in They Stole the Children in their Sleep as our prince tries to find his stolen princess?

Everyone in the Verbruggen Hall at the Conservatorium of Music was swept up and away from beginning to end. To say the audience loved it is an understatement – and they showed their appreciation with riotous applause and a standing ovation.

This positive response was evident throughout the evening as the audience enjoyed a rich musical program. The SUGC Chamber Choir delivered a haunting calmness in an earlier work of Christopher’s, Sweet Silence After Bells, and the orchestra moved through an exquisitely luscious performance of Danses Sacrée at Profane and Prélude à l’Après Midid’un Faune by Debussy. In the second half of the program the Choir performed a stirring rendition of Stanford’s seafaring choral work Songs of the Fleet. A rousing Jerusalem was the finale and prompted calls for an encore, in which the audience enthusiastically joined in.

A selection of audience reviews, received in person and via email in the days following the concert, included:

"Christopher, you really did it this time. Songs of the Heart - complex, emotional and magnificent"

"We felt very priviledged to be involved in the first ever hearing of "Songs of the Heart". The spell-binding orchestration was almost overwhelming in its power and its plumbing of the heights and depths of emotion. A truly memorable day."

"It was really thrilling"

"Congratulations and so many thanks for such a wonderful evening of music" "

"Loved the "Songs of the Heart", especially the last one for its whimsy"

"Brilliant composition. Superb music, animated and precise conducting"

"Great choral & orchestralsound and discipline"

"Saturday night was fabulous music-making"

"Wonderful night. It was a priviledge to be in the audience"

"I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and Christopher's compositions were brilliant.
He has such a great ability to compose in a wide variety of styles with a beautiful blend of tones"

"The concert was marvellous. My sincere congratulations to Christopher Bowen"

"Songs of the Heart" moved us greatly"

"Christopher is a very gifted conductor and composer"

"The orchestra was spectacular and the choir sounded fantastic. Christopher Bowen's music still haunts me"

"As a conductor and composer, Christopher Bowen reminds me of Lennie Bernstein"

"Sweet Silence after Bells - a work of art. Congratulations Christopher and the choir - a unique and memorable performance"

"Sweet Silence after Bells moved me to tears. The choir's rendition was beautiful"

"This was my first concert ever. I loved the music and I didn't know what to expect. Loved the Christopher Bowen music and I'll come to the next concert"

"It was a glorious concert, one of the best ever. "Songs of the Heart" was the best. It is fascinating to hear his work developing and maturing and becoming his signature. Beautiful harmonies. The choir obviously enjoyed singing it as much as the audience enjoyed hearing it.

"Sweet Silence after Bells was magidal"

"We loved the premiere of "Songs of the Heart" absolutely, wholeheartedly and enthusiastically.

"Wonderful. Poetic, lyrical, rhythmic, flowing, marching, pulsating."

"Congratulations! When can we get the CD?"

I wanted to thank you for yesterday’s SSM experience. I was one of the guest choir altos in the gallery to your right, and I was so impressed with the effort you made to ensure that all of us up in the galleries, on both sides, felt included and part of your conducting. I was also pleasantly surprised at how relaxed you were able to make the day despite the quantity of material to rehearse. I sing with the Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus (as do a large number of yesterday’s guest choir altos) and it was very rewarding to participate in a different choir and with such a skilful and inclusive conductor."

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed being a part of Messiah this year. It's was a wonderful day and a great start to the Christmas season. My friends who attended the performance thought it fabulous.

The tingling down the spine started with the first chorus and continued pretty well without interruption every time the choir sang. The sound was magnificent and I felt so proud of you all. Christopher carried the Messiah along at a fast pace. The attention to detail was astonishing especially since the massed choir had only met for the first time this morning. While waiting to get in we stood on the steps with a man from Borrowa who reminisced that he had sung in the Town Hall as a soprano soloist in a Combined Schools concert in 1955 and he hadn't been inside it since. He and his wife were in Sydney for the weekend intending to go to the Jersey Boys until they discovered the cost. Seeing our ad in the Herald they decided to come along. By chance I met them again at the end and they were absolutely "blown away" as they put it and hope to come again next year.

It was very obvious that a tremendous amount of hard work has gone into the preparation for this performance. We want to thank you all for a wonderful and unforgettable afternoon.

I wish to thank you for the opportunity to participate in that wonderful rendition of ‘The Messiah’ yesterday. It is 46 years since I sang in it, as a 24-year-old singing the bass solos and choruses in a performance by the then Blue Mountains Concert Society, two months after which I went overseas for some years and lost contact with the music scene. My then 1 year old son would have heard that performance and participated with me yesterday. We hoped his daughter would be able to join us whenever you have it again, so that three generations would be participating. She is a close friend of Amy Ampt, who is also interested, I understand – they could sing together. Do you have any plans for future performances?

I felt the experience we had at the City of Sydney Sings Messiah! was quite exhilarating and I know this was shared by at least the bass section of the Joubert Singers that was present. It's clear from the numbers of guest singers just how popular and rewarding it is to sing this work, especially when you hear the vehement objections from the choristers when any chorus is suggested to be cut. Christopher should be congratulated for putting together such a massive performance and keeping such a large number of performers on track and in tune with his own interpretation of the work. This was a valuable bonus for me in my first attempt at this monument of the choral repertoire. Coincidentally I ran into a neighbour who was also a guest singer and was very moved and excited by the whole performance.
We are very grateful for the opportunity and hope it will be repeated next year. I think the format of the one day rehearsal and performance works very well for what to most is a well known work, especially given the various other commitments we all seem to have.

Thank you very much for organising us all to sing in the wonderful concert yesterday. It was a brilliant way to spend the day.

Thanks very much for organising the Town Hall City of Sydney Sings Messiah 2010.I had a really wonderful day enjoying the fabulous music-making with Christopher's excellent guidance and also the very nice spirit of the Grads - friendly and welcoming. I hope you personally and you and the Grads and Christopher as a group feel totally satisfied to have achieved the creation of a lovely Christmas present for all of Sydney!!! John Bowan reckons every choir thinks it's better than every other choir in existence, but the grads were putting out a really wonderful sound, and without bragging deserve to feel VERY PROUD!

I thoroughly enjoyed my participation and was sitting behind Christopher – even though it put us at a slight disadvantage the positive part was that we were able to actually see and hear the soloists. Having sung the Messiah for many many years at Town Hall, this was the first time I was able to watch the soloists from the front! Keep me on the list for next time.

For me, the Messiah day was most enjoyable and a great way to refresh and add to my knowledge of some magnificent music. It was personally rewarding to be able to join with such a large group of accomplished musicians to produce what my fan club (who is invariably uninhibited in her praise or criticism) regarded as a very enjoyable and moving performance. I found Christopher to be an excellent conductor, clear in his direction and easy to follow. His marathon effort in handling the huge choir and orchestra throughout the day could only be wondered at and admired. The organisation of the day was most professional and as a participant I could not find any fault. I look forward to future similar opportunities.

The Messiah was great and I enjoyed it very much. The choir was amazing in size and sound. And the venue was magnificent. I haven't been inside the Town Hall for 50 years or more. It is a wonderful building. What a good thing the Council has got it into such good shape. I'd like to hear more of the organ some time. Audience member.

Thank you for ... the opportunity to sing along with the Graduate Choir - it was a wonderful day and quite an experience working with such a talented musical director. Thank you also for organising the replacement ticket. My husband didn't go as he had other things to do & he has heard it many times as I usually sing with the Combined Churches choir, so I gave it to a friend who had never heard such a large choir before and she enjoyed it all very much.

What an absolutely wonderful experience!! It was the first time I had sung in such a choir and it was exhilarating. I also felt privileged to be able to listen to such gifted soloists and enjoy the sound of such a magnificent organ.

Thanks so much - it was a great day's singing (and a super performance, according to my fans in the audience),

I would like to add my thanks to everyone in Sydney Grads who made it possible for the guest choir to sing. My sister, from Adelaide, was with me, singing for the first time in any choir - we both thoroughly enjoyed our day (and our other sister was there too, in SUGC). It was an enormous amount of work for you and everything seemed to go very smoothly. Thanks to you in particular! I'm secretary of Macquarie University Singers and spotted something like 20 people from our choir - there were maybe more - I should have got a program to check. Cheers, congratulations and thanks again.

It was a great experience and as a guest singer, I was thrilled to be singing with SUGC.

I thought it was great too!

It was the first time I had sung in a Sydney Sings Messiah and was amazed at the organisation.

Thank you! It was a lovely experience. I have sung in the Opera House massed choir on a few occasions and I enjoyed this one more. I even think we sounded better, with barely any rehearsing at all! I would therefore be very keen to do this again. Christopher was great. Please pass on my thanks and best wishes to him. He must have been exhausted and starved!

It was my first with your choir and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Rested most of today) No doubt Chris would have, I think he looked exhausted. I have sung Messiah a few times with the Sydney Philharmonia but this time round the Alleluia Chorus and the Amen were the best I have ever been part of. (they were a great group of tenors to sing with).

Thank you so much ...for the opportunity to once again sing in the magnificent Sydney Sings Messiah. The result that was achieved after only one morning of rehearsal was truly amazing. I will certainly look forward to participating again in 2012 (if not before!).

Once again, thank you for a fantastic day. An outstandingly organized and executed production.

I was unable to sing with the choir yesterday because I arrived back from Hawaii with a strep throat but I did attend the performance with Joan Smiley and we agreed it was a wonderful experience. The diction was very clear to us right up in the upstairs balcony and as you said the sits and stands were flawless. I was very sorry to miss out singing and will be there for when you do it again. Having sung with the massed choir and Philharmonia singers at the Opera House I can say with assurance that your choir's performance really gave them a run for their money! It was fantastic.

It was a wonderful afternoon of beautiful music...top class singing and orchestra.

I enjoyed it enormously and my husband in the audience thought it the best Messiah he has heard - with better sound than in the Opera House. I thought the orchestra were particularly good. Thank you very much.

No, no, no - I can't possibly wait another two years!!! I had such a wonderful experience, singing the Messiah for the first time ever and meeting so many lovely people, that I've already started dreaming of next year's performance! If there's any way that we can help you get it happening again next year (emails, letters to the City of Sydney, Westfield etc), please let us know. Thank you for having provided such a memorable experience for all of us Messiah enthusiasts, who would otherwise not have had the opportunity.

Congratulations on a fantastic event yesterday. You and your team did wonders mustering all those guest singers. I spoke to a number of very happy participants, some of whom were taking the plunge with their first Messiah. It was good to see that they chose us! Their confidence was well-founded. Some of these singers were thrilled that Christopher took everyone smoothly through the program in rehearsal then conducted the final work with such clarity. They loved working with him.

Congratulations and thanks to you for being such a vital part of a most wonderful musical event. Yesterday’s performance of The Messiah was seamless. I was honoured to be part of a choir which made a great sound. Thank you to everyone involved. Christopher was amazing and did a sterling job. I would be amongst those who would love to be involved next year. Yes please keep my details in readiness for next time. I sit here still in awe of what was achieved. Thank you.

I really enjoyed the day, having not sung for over two years because I am not in any choir in

Australia

, moving here from the

. I got quite emotional on the day and realise it's about time I joined a choir of some sort, so thank you, and will look for one when I return from Christmas holidays.

As a guest singer, it was all incredibly well organised and smooth-running, with a minimum of fuss (and I know what a LOT of organisation goes into making something that appears not to need much!) I love the music and loved the chance to sing with others, esp so many, and my ears are still ringing with snatches of it, 27 hours later. A real privilege to be part of it, thank you again. and I also had vg feedback from people I'd sent invites to, eg this by the time I got home: We loved the Messiah this afternoon. Glorious sounds filled the Town Hall, we especially liked when the whole choir sang. The performance was perfect. It was a thrill to be there.

It was wonderful to be part of it. I enjoyed the day, the music and the message, working with everyone, the insights into the music and the thrill of the performance. Thank you very much for a great experience.

I would love to be involved again in the future even though I am so tired due to a weekend chock full of activity and a LONG day on Sunday!! Again many many thanks.

It was a great day. Thank you so much for opening it up to people to join the Grads. As you say, it was very moving. Every time I do it I love the music more than the last time. The final chord of the Amen had tears in my eyes. It was a great day. Thank you so much.

Please let me add my voice to the thanks to you and The Grads for hosting such a wonderful experience yesterday. I have sung The Messiah on several occasions, but never cease to be moved by the music, particularly in a large massed choir, such as yesterday. Please keep my details- I would love to participate again.
Seasons greetings to Christopher and all in The Grads.

Thank you all so much for an amazing day. I really enjoyed it. I would love to remain on your list for future notifications.

Thank you also for a wonderfully exciting, exhilarating day yet stress-free day.. Congratulations to the organisers, the Concertmaster Chris, The Graduate Choir the Soloists and last but not least, the Orchestra. It always amazes me how the members of the orchestra remain totally focussed throughout the entire performance whilst making such magnificent sounds. I look forward to the next time

I would be happy for you to keep my contact details. It was a most wonderful day. I thought the Music Director was so good – bringing out the best in all of us with his firmness and sense of humour. And yes, the music always moves me. At the same time, it was a fun day. I hope we never lose these jewels of our heritage but how do we get young people interested?

It was a joy to sing with the chorus! Congratulations on your superb handling of the 600 odd choristers & in making such effective use of the limited rehearsal time.. Soloists & orchestra excelled themselves.

I just had to say how much I enjoyed Sunday and would be very keen to do it again. I sing with the Illawarra Choral Society and we all had a great day.

Actually thank you for giving me such a wonderful chance to have an amazing day. Of course you can keep all my contact details for any future use, it's really my pleasure. See you next time.

As part of the guest choir, I found it thrilling to hear the Town Hall ring with the sound of the large choir and, of course, Handel’s ‘Messiah’ brings its own hair-raising thrill at any time. The rehearsal time was put to very good use and I feel the presentation was quite polished, given the short time everyone was together. Thank you for the opportunity to sing with the Grad Choir and under the baton of Christopher Bowen. It was a marvellous experience.

I enjoyed the day enormously as did my own two new recruits - we all left Town Hall with grins from ear to ear!

It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of a lifetime of singing. I sang my first Messiah in 1945 and many, many more over the years since. This is possibly my last Messiah, I am approaching 85

It was a pleasure and a great privilege to sing on Sunday! I thank all connected with this venture: soloists and musicians of such a high order, and Christopher Bowen is a dream of a conductor - his vision resulted in a performance that was SO appreciated by everyone who spoke to me. It is a wonderful idea, to let lovers of singing join with the choir - I hope I will be able to do so again!

And many thanks to SSM for such a wonderful and uplifting day. It was a special day and I hope to share another performance with you sometime.

Many thanks for a stellar performance yesterday! The pace, diction and balance were absolutely outstanding, but what impressed me most was the level of spirit and energy you and Chris inspired in the massed choir. At the stage door after the performance everyone was on a total 'high'. It was one of those rare performances that sent tingles down the spine. Very very, well done!

What a wonderful day. Alan and I go back to mid-80s Philharmonic Choir where we were ‘add ons’. Much more fun with your guys.