UPCOMING Concerts
Divisi Chamber Singers have, over the last few years, skyrocketed to become one of Australia’s most exciting and vibrant chamber choirs, winning a host of awards. This concert celebrates Australia’s own thriving contemporary choral tradition. Australia has a rich landscape of contemporary music, and here Divisi showcases local artists whose contributions are chronically under-recognised internationally in favour of older works by historical European masters. Divisi presents works by Meta Cohen, Robert McIntyre, Juliana Kay, Cameron Lam, and Linda Kouvaras, plus a Melbourne premiere of Joe Twist’s exciting new ‘Australian Song Cycle.’
Divisi’s debut in Melbourne Recital Centre’s Primrose Potter Salon explores the intrigue of madrigals, taking six narrators’ individual interpretations and coordinating them into a beautiful, cohesive story. Divisi Chamber Singers will take four hundred years of madrigal storytelling tradition and weave masterworks with contemporary comparisons. Ben Rowarth’s The Turn, an Australian premiere, gives further context to Monteverdi’s Lamento D’Arianna. Gavin Bryars’ madrigals shed more light on ancient poetry with intricate contemporary harmony.
Challenging its singers’ virtuosic abilities, we hope to provide audiences with an experience of storytelling that transcends time and style, telling ancient stories in modern ways.
Past Concerts
Divisi is joined by Ensemble Ancien to perform an exciting new work by emerging composer Christopher Healey with new text by Rose Forrest inspired by Historia Di Jonas, a striking oratorio by Giulio Carissimi.
Enjoy a relaxing hour being serenaded by delicious 17th Century songs, and witness the world premiere of Healey and Forrest’s unique new work that offers a modern reflection on the book of Jonah.
Quick concert! The Lieder Society of Victoria and Chapel off Chapel has presented us with an opportunity to present two world premiere’s at their incredible venue by Naarm (Melbourne based) composers.
Firstly, Meta Cohen’s queer song cycle A Love Is A Love Is A Love. We recorded this at the ABC to go on classic FM in May and gave you a little hint of this at our March concert. Come hear all four movements of this ground-breaking work.
Secondly, Cameron Lam’s new vocal cycle The Splendour of Lying Naked in the Sun. Taking text from Salvatore Scibona’s short story by the same name, this multi-movement work explores themes of self-identify and ones relationship with your body. Most importantly, the peace of lying naked in the sun.
These two premieres will be interspersed by works by Caerwen Martin, Joseph Twist and Gavin Bryars for an exciting reflection on what art song can be!
“Spectrum” Album Launch – 18th and 19th of March 2022
As part of Chamber Music Week at the MC Showroom, Divisi debuts Spectrum, Australia’s first-ever complete album of queer classical music by local LGBTQIA+ composers. Join us for a celebration of the album’s release and hear a performance of works from the album alongside other pieces by queer composers.
Get your tickets here today!
La Nuova Musica – 18th and 24th April 2021
In this concert we contrast Nuova Musica (new music) with La Nuova Music, a style of music dominated by Montiverdi and Gesualdo. We will tackle this difficult repertoire with a group of 6 expert singers, just as it would have been performed in the Early Baroque Italian tradition.
Compose Queer – 26th February 2021
Compose queer is now finished. For more information about this program and any updates about its participants go to www.divisichamber.com/composequeer
Divisi in Recital – 9th August 2019
A showcase recital in Wyselaskie Auditorium featured a selection of choral masterpieces by Arvo Pärt, Franz Biebl, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and a contemporary arrangement of Waltzing Matilda by Ruth McCall. In our second major program, we challenged our singers by introducing professional rehearsal expectations and deadlines.
Tallis to Tavener – 25th May 2019
A reflective anthology of the evolution of English choral music. The selection of unaccompanied choral compositions features an array of pronounced English composers; documenting the development of the English tradition in choral composition and divulging its contributions to the distinct styles and techniques we hear in contemporary choral music.
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