Christelise de Graaf and Meredith Connie | Splendid: Art Songs through the Ages
13 March, 2026, Melbourne Athenaeum Library, Melbourne VIC
The Melbourne Atheneum Library was treated to a beautiful concert presented by Christelise de Graaf (soprano) and Meredith Connie (classical guitarist and composer) on Friday evening. The duo explored repertoire that is not often given an airing but showed us through their performance just how much this repertoire deserves to be heard and seen. The concert included parlour songs of the 19th century written for guitar and voice, early music adapted for a guitar accompaniment, and more modern works written both for the combination and arranged for them by Meredith Connie.
Christelise de Graaf is a soprano that brings drama and tenderness to her performances – from sparkling virtuosic passages of Henry Purcell to the heart-weary poetry of Judith Wright as set to music by Elena Kats-Chernin, de Graaf delights, charms and tugs at the heart strings.
Meredith Connie is a distinguished guitar player who performs with sensitivity and finesse. She easily moved through the different eras and styles of the program – from the sweet style of the early folk songs of the British Isles to the demanding passages in Britten’s cycle and to the exposed passages of Christopher Sainsbury’s pieces; Connie’s talent and dedication to her craft is clear.
A fascinating feature was a paired song cycle by Benjamin Britten “Songs From the Chinese” and “Profiles from China” by Peggy Glanville-Hicks. Both were written at similar times, adapted from Chinese poetic sources, and each exploited new modernistic techniques, in their own way. de Graaf and Connie reminded us that the second world war was truly a catalyst for looking outside of old traditions to try to find a new way of seeing the world, and both of these song cycles are first class examples.
Many different colours of art songs in the English language were portrayed, including delightful coastal snapshots from Australian Christopher Sainsbury and by-turns humorous and tragic folk songs from the British Isles. A highlight was the song cycle penned by Meredith Connie, Songs of Inanna, setting the ancient poetry of a Sumerian priestess to evocative music with the intention of showing us different facets and aspects of the worship of Innana, from domestic to gender-bending to warrior.
The Atheneum Library provides a cosy, intimate space for concerts for their members, and brings a wide variety of performers to be enjoyed with nibbles and a glass of wine. Many of the members who came expressed pleasure at the recital, along with comments that revealed “Art Songs” were not their usual listening choice, and they were taken by surprise by how much they enjoyed the performance. “It was so wonderful, I had no idea what to expect” echoed around the space. As music lovers we owe a thanks to the Atheneum Library for providing audiences with such rich musical fare.
Guest reviewer Josef Hardt is a Melbournite and a music lover who enjoys the fine music that is so plentiful in the city.
