Choir created to bring community together

You might think that law, occupational therapy and music students don’t share much in common, but Brisbane’s newest choir is hoping to change that.

The Alexandra Chorale, based in Coorparoo and coordinated by a group of UQ students, invite people from all walks of life to share in the love of music, and will perform a special concert at St John’s Cathedral this Saturday, July 24.

The event will include well-known works by Vivaldi and Bach, and reflects the choir’s mission to encourage greater community participation in the arts.

“Vivaldi was a priest and spent much of his life working in an orphanage”, music director Nathan Aspinall said.

“He wrote an enormous amount of music for these children of which his Gloria is one. The work demonstrates Vivaldi's distinctive style and musical vigour, and is characterised by driving rhythm and lyrical melodies.”

Mr Aspinall, a UQ music student who is also part of Symphony Australia's Conductor Development Program, said the chorale had been set up to combat a lack of similar opportunities on Brisbane’s south side.

“We plan to perform a variety of music that will engage with the widest possible audience and allow us to reach out to the community. Classical choral works, world music, projects with other ensembles, orchestras and instrumentalists are all on our radar,” he said.

Mr Aspinall said the concert’s showpiece – Gloria – had earned cult status among music buffs, but was also a special experience for the uninitiated.

Also on show will be Bach’s cantata Ich habe genug which is drawn from the text of Luke’s gospel and expresses the importance of hope and peace.

“These pieces make us explore, reflect and invite us to think in a new way. They are also timeless, and affect us just as deeply even after 300 years,” Mr Aspinall said.

The concert takes place at 7.30pm, July 24 at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane’s CBD. A special student price of $10 is available directly through the Alexandra Chorale by calling 0402 197 228, emailing alexandra.chorale@hotmail.com or at the door on the night.

Media: Steven Rasztotszky from the Alexandra Chorale (0400 200 119) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)