Presented by Camerata in conjunction with Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and the Brisbane Festival, The Conference of the Birds is centred around the epic 12th-century poem of the same name by Persian mystic and poet, Attar of Nishapur. It is an allegorical story of love, faith and humanity’s search for courage, offering both a sense of loss but also hope for the future. This multi-dimensional artistic work provided a holistic dimension to Camerata’s normal concert programming. Moreover, it was a perfect choice for festival fare, augmenting a powerful musical score with spoken text and visual illustrations, as well as design and lighting elements.

The Conference of the Birds. Photo © Alex Jamieson

The concert commenced with Mendelssohn’s glorious Sinfonia No 10 in B Minor presented as an overture, with both the Adagio and Allegro components included in a single powerful movement. Commencing slowly and softly, the stately delivery of the Adagio section was well paced by the orchestra, producing a fine repetitive melody in the upper strings. As the mood and tempi changed to a much quicker rhythm, the movement transitioned into the major...