Category Archives: AWR

Christopher Bowen’s ‘An Australian War Requiem’ Premiered

Posted on August 24, 2014 by rmoneale

On Sunday, 10 August in the Sydney Town Hall, the choir gave its second subscription concert of 2014, the premiere performance of Christopher Bowen’s and Pamela Traynor’s An Australian War Requiem, commissioned by the choir to mark the centenary of … Continue reading →

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Posted on August 22, 2014 by rmoneale

It seems very fitting that ‘An Australian War Requiem’ premiered at the Sydney Town Hall. One hundred years ago, the Town Hall hosted company of a different kind in its role as a recruitment depot for hopeful servicemen. In March … Continue reading →

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The Western Front—a long way from home

Posted on August 4, 2014 by rmoneale

It would take volumes to write a comprehensive history of the war on the Western Front, something that is clearly beyond the scope of this blog. However, family members of the Sydney University Graduate choir served across all main offensives, … Continue reading →

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Five minutes with…Adrian Tamburini, bass

Posted on August 1, 2014 by rmoneale

One of the bass soloists singing with us at the premiere of ‘An Australian War Requiem’ on 10 August 2014, Adrian Tamburini answers questions about the significance of the event for him. What did you find tempting about the invitation … Continue reading →

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Treasured letters: an interview with Pamela Traynor, librettist—part 1

Posted on June 24, 2014 by rmoneale

The libretto for An Australian War Requiem features quotes from letters between soldiers at the front and mothers at home in Australia. It also includes excerpts from poems, and from the sacred hymn of Mary, the Stabat Mater. The libretto … Continue reading →

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The board is set…

Posted on June 12, 2014 by rmoneale

As we work through our rehearsals for An Australian War Requiem, it’s not surprising that our thoughts turn to members of our own families who went off to war to ‘do their bit’, that we wonder about their lives here … Continue reading →

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An Australian War Requiem—beginning our journey

Posted on May 30, 2014 by rmoneale

There is something very special about picking up the score of a newly composed work at the start of a rehearsal period; of leafing through the pages and ever-so-slightly stumbling over unfamiliar words, fumbling through initially alien harmonies. The contents … Continue reading →

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