Year: 2022

Tallis & Byrd (2022)

Monday, 7 November 2022, 7:30pm
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Ensemble Gombert

Ensemble Gombert & Friends
Directed by John O’Donnell

PROGRAM
Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585)
Te lucis ante terminum
In jejunio et fletu
Derelinquat impius
Loquebantur variis linguis
William Byrd (c.1543-1623)
Attollite portas
Ne irascaris Domine
Nunc scio vere
Tu es Petrus
Quomodo cantabimus
Thomas Tallis
Spem in alium nunquam habui

SOPRANO
Katherine Lieschke; Victoria Brown; Carol Veldhoven; Deborah Summerbell; Claerwen Jones; Fiona Seers, Kate McBride; Sarah Harris
Elspeth Bawden*
ALTO
Leonie Tonkin; Emma Warburton; Katie Richardson; Louisa Billeter
Niki Ebacioni*; Jenny Mathers*; Jacqueline Ogeil*
TENOR
Peter Campbell; Abhishek Purty; Tim Van Nooten; Vaughan McAlley; Michael Stephens
Brent Annable*; Jonathan Glenning*; Adamm Ferrier*, Leighton Triplow*
BASS
Chetan Anthony Noronha; Andrew Murray; Mike Ormerod; Mark Thawley; Nicholas Tolhurst; Thomas Bell; Andrew Fysh; Michael Strasser;
Thomas Drent*; Tom Balwdin*; Nathaniel Fink*; Hugh Fullarton*; Philip Nicholls*; Barry Clark*; Andrew Ham*

*Performers in Tallis Spem in alium

All Souls’ Duruflé Requiem (2022)

All Souls’ Requiem at All Saints’ Church
Wednesday, 2 November 2022, 7:30pm
All Saints’ Anglican Church, East St Kilda

Service music included:
Maurice Duruflé Requiem Opus 9
Emma Warburton, contralto

SOPRANO
Katherine Lieschke; Victoria Brown; Carol Veldhoven; Deborah Summerbell; Claerwen Jones; Fiona Seers
ALTO
Emma Warburton*; Leonie Tonkin; Niki Ebacioni; Sadie Mustoe
TENOR
Peter Campbell; Abhishek Purty; Tim Van Nooten; Vaughan McAlley; Michael Stephens
BASS
Chetan Anthony Noronha; Andrew Murray; Mike Ormerod; Mark Thawley; Nicholas Tolhurst; Thomas Bell; Andrew Fysh; Michael Strasser;

A Human Requiem (2022)

Sunday 16 October 2022, 3pm
Our Lady of Victories Basilica, Camberwell

World Premiere of new composition A Human Requiem by Vaughan McAlley (b. 1970)

PROGRAM
Josquin Desprez (c.1450-1521) Praeter rerum seriem
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) Selig sind die Toten
Vaughan McAlley (b. 1970) A Human Requiem
Mezzo-Soprano Soloist: Sally Wilson

SOPRANO
Victoria Brown; Sarah Harris; Claerwen Jones; Katherine Lieschke; Kate McBride
ALTO
Shanti Michael; Katie Richardson; Leonie Tonkin; Emma Warburton
TENOR
Peter Campbell; Vaughan McAlley; Tim van Nooten; Abhishek Purty; Michael Stephens
BASS
Thomas Bell; Andrew Murray; Chetan Noronha; Mike Ormerod; Tom Reid; Mark Thawley; Nicholas Tolhurst

REVIEW
Monday 17 October 2022, Limelight Magazine [online]
A Human Requiem (Ensemble Gombert)
Vincent Plush

3.5 stars. In this concert, featuring a world premiere by Vaughan McAlley, the expertise of the singers and their director was let down by the poor acoustic of the venue.
For nigh on 30 years, John O’Donnell has directed the choral group in Melbourne called Ensemble Gombert. This a cappella group of around 18 voices takes its name from the Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance (c.1495-c.1560) and its very title reveals its special focus on early music and the Renaissance in particular. Presently the University Organist at Monash University, O’Donnell himself is an internationally recognised keyboard performer, choral conductor and musicologist.  He brings to his Ensemble’s performance acute attention to period style, articulation and just intonation.

These characteristics were evident in the two short works which opened the 75-minute concert on Sunday afternoon.
The first of these was the six-voice setting of the Marian Sequence, Praeter rerum seriem(“Contrary to the order of nature, a virgin mother hath given birth to God and man”) by Josquin des Prez (c.1450-1521). In his typically erudite notes, O’Donnell characterises this five-minute work as “one of the most extraordinarily original works of its time – Indeed, of all time”, in the various triple metres…
Vincent Plush/Limelight Magazine


The Art of A Capella (2022)

Sunday, 12 June 2022, 3pm
St Ambrose Church, Woodend

Woodend Winter Arts Festival

PROGRAM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (BWV 226)
Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) Hymn to St. Cecilia 
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) 7 Magnificat-Antiphonen 
William Henry Harris (1883–1973) Faire is the heaven 
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) Fest- und Gedenksprüche, Opus 109 

SOPRANO
Carol Veldhoven; Victoria Brown; Katherine Lieschke; Claerwen Jones; Nina Pereira; Sarah Harris
ALTO
Helena Ekins; Stephanie Mitchell; Leonie Tonkin; Katie Richardson; Emma Warburton
TENOR
Peter Campbell; Vaughan McAlley; Michael Stephens; Tim Van Nooten; Abhishek Purty
BASS
Chetan Anthony Noronha; Nicholas Tolhurst; Mike Ormerod; Mark Thawley; Thomas Bell

Music For Pentecost (2022)

Sunday 22th May 2022, 3pm
All Saints’ Church, East St Kilda

All Saints’ Church Concert Series 2022

PROGRAM
Orlando de Lassus
Christus resurgens
Huc me sydereo descendere jussit Olympo
Surrexit pastor bonus
Magnificat super “Praeter rerum seriem”
Johann Sebastian Bach
Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (BWV 226)
William Henry Harris
Faire is the heaven
Arvo Pärt
7 Magnificat-Antiphonen

SOPRANO
Carol Veldohen; Victoria Brown; Katherine Lieschke; Claerwen Jones; Nina Pereira; Sarah Harris; Deborah Summerbell
ALTO
Helena Ekins; Stephanie Mitchell; Leonie Tonkin; Katie Richardson; Emma Warburton
TENOR
Peter Campbell; Tim Van Nooten; Abhishek Purty; Vaughan McAlley; Michael Stephens
BASS
Chetan Anthony Noronha; Nicholas Tolhurst; Mike Ormerod; Mark Thawley; Andrew Murray



Lassus & Palestrina (2022)

Monday, 4 April 2022, 7:30pm
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Ensemble Gombert

PROGRAM
Orlande de Lassus
Omnes de Saba, LV 973
Magnificat secundi toni, LV 1070
Magnificat super carmen praeter rerum seriem, LV 1070
Tristis est anima mea, LV 238
Il magnanimo Pietro
Nunc dimittis primi toni, LV Anh.111
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Missa ‘Assumpta est Maria’

SOPRANO
Carol Veldhoven; Victoria Brown; Katherine Lieschke; Claerwen Jones; Nina Pereira; Sarah Harris; Deborah Summerbell; Fiona Seers
ALTO
Helena Ekins; Miranda Gronow; Leonie Tonkin; Emma Warburton
TENOR
Peter Campell; Vaughan McAlley; Michael Stephens; Abhishek Purty; Christopher Watson
BASS
Chetan Anthony Noronha; Nicholas Tolhurst; Mike Ormerod; Mark Thawley; Andrew Murray