2022 Season
Songs for the earth
Hear the intricate harmonies of Polyphonic Voices mingling with the spectacle of Luke Jerram's majestic Gaia, a detailed sculpture of the earth that currently hangs in space inside St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.
The artwork aims to create a sense of the ‘overview effect’, which is a shift in awareness experienced by some astronauts who, when seeing the earth from space, get a feeling of awe for the planet and an understanding of the interconnectedness of all life, along with a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
The majority-Australian program Songs for the Earth has been specially selected to respond to these themes, and features works by Paul Stanhope, Joe Twist, Alice Chance, Stephen Leek and Dan Walker, as well as texts by Indigenous writers Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Reverend Lenore Parker that foreground Indigenous Australians' relationship with Country.
Melbourne Performance
Saturday 25 June 2022
7-8PM
St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne
tickets
$20/$30
the sacred veil
Polyphonic Voices is proud to be a part of the Australian premiere of Eric Whitacre's new work for choir, cello and piano, entitled The Sacred Veil. Written with poet and long-time collaborator Charles Anthony Silvestri, this 12-movement work tells a story of love, loss, grief, and the search for solace. And although the personal inspiration at its core is the death of Silvestri’s wife, this intimate and compelling score follows a very human – and very relatable – journey. The music itself is everything we’ve come to expect from Whitacre – shimmering harmonies, luxurious sonorities, searing intensity.
“The Sacred Veil is a story for us all,” says Whitacre, “everyone has a place of pain that we can hardly bear to touch” and it taps into the way music – and especially singing – can help us grieve and heal.
In a rare Australian appearance, Whitacre will conduct the combined forces of The Choir of Trinity College and Polyphonic Voices, along with cellist Rosanne Hunt and pianist Rhodri Clarke.
Melbourne performances
Wednesday 7 September 2022 - 7:30pm
Thursday 8 September 2022 - 7:30pm
Alexander Theatre, The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts, Monash University
Tickets
$20 - $69