Melbourne has been the hardest hit of all Australian cities throughout the pandemic and there was a moving and joyful atmosphere in the city’s Scots’ Church when the Australian Chamber Choir gave their first live concert in over a year and dedicated their performance to all those around the world who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.

The Australian Chamber Choir performs Fauré’s Requiem. Photo © 5stream

Led by the choir’s founder and artistic director Douglas Lawrence, the ACC were in fine voice and brought their trademark precision in pronunciation and synchronicity to a program of four works, culminating in the chamber version of Fauré’s Requiem.

With the curved wooden altar screen and off-white carved walls forming an austere but imposing backdrop, the unaccompanied 18 voices gave a vibrant performance of Brahms’ motet Schaffe in mir Gott Op. 29, No 2, with its text taken from Psalm 51 and a lively fugue in the middle section. The work showed off the unusually dynamic but balanced tonal colour of the choir, the sopranos in particular lending a strong bodied presence.
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