Australian Chamber Choir | Baroque Christmas
December 7, 2025, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middle Park, VIC
The Australian Chamber Choir were beautifully balanced and in top form for their end of year Christmas concert under the direction of Douglas Lawrence and Elizabeth Anderson. The program of mainly baroque music was stretched to include a few very early baroque works and the welcome addition of three gorgeous miniatures by Christopher Willcock, who was present in the audience.
The program opened with a very clean and crisp setting of In Dulci Jubilo by Bach (v1,4) and Walter (v2-3). It was sung with precision and joy, really setting the tone for the rest of the concert.
A brief sojourn to Italy with Giovanni Gabrieli’s Hodie Christus natus est and back to Saxony for three motets, Johannes Eccard’s Resonet in laudibus, and, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen and Singt und kingt by Michael Praetorius. Es ist ein Ros of course being so sweet and familiar, and the words to Singt und kingt were made to sound like excited little bells by the choir. Exquisite!
Elizabeth Anderson conducted two Australian premiers of baroque works, one being by a woman composer of the period, Raffaella Aleotti, Facta est cum angelo and the other by Polish composer and organist Mikołaj Zieleński. Both were very intricate works with lovely interplay between parts, including sections in the very high soprano register.
From Christopher Willcock’s Southern Star came three miniature works, settings of poems by Michael Leunig, which were accompanied by Katia Mestrovic on harp, with thanks to the support of the Robert Salzer Foundation. These were absolute gems, beautifully composed with angelic high chords and the sense of heavenly things with the sound of the harp. A brilliant addition to the program.
Douglas Lawrence took to the stand once again for Bach’s Motet Jesu meine Freude (BWV227), which was the equal to the first part of the program. It is certainly one of Bach’s most expressive works, with 11 verses that range across emotions and expressive techniques. The ACC were tight and attentive to the changes between verses and really brought the work to life.
Harpist Katia Mestrovic returned for the final works in the program by Andreas Hammerschmidt. A joyful and triumphant Hallelujah and Machet die Tore Weit. Again both works were uplifting and spirited.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middle Park was almost at capacity for the concert, and there was a lovely atmosphere. I must admit the acoustic in the church is perfect for choirs. The ACC are a treasured lot in Melbourne and beyond, and with good reason. It was a lovely way to end the year with the ACC and a great encouragement to look forward to the 2026 program.
This performance is available to watch on demand at Australian Digital Concert Hall. LINK HERE >>
