"There is something deeply troubling and inscrutable in Gesualdo’s music, something that any listener will unfailingly experience. This most particularly holds for Tenebrae responsoria (1611), his definitive statement, his monument, his testament. It is as if this work would constantly extend over its boundaries and transgress its time and setting, immediately addressing modernity….”
Mladen Dolar, Out of Joint (2020)

More than 400 years later, the music of Carlo Gesualdo still seems strikingly avant-garde. Composed for his own private use during his final years, and likely unheard during his lifetime, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories are of unmatched intensity. This is music at the end of an epoch; at once steeped in and a radically unsettling subversion of the traditions of the sixteenth century.

The first set of Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria V) evoke Christ’s abandonment, betrayal, and death. Gesualdo’s dramatic settings reflect the angst of the passion story, alongside his own bloody encounter with death – in 1590 he murdered his wife Maria d’Avalos and her lover Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, when he discovered them ‘in fragrante dilicto, di flagrante peccato’. Gesualdo’s punishment was as self-inflicted as the crime. His status as prince saved him from criminal persecution; instead he saw out his days living as a recluse, tormented by grief and guilt.

Translating literally to ‘darkness’, the plural form of ‘Tenebrae’ is fitting; it implies a multiplicity, all-encompassing shadows;  a plunge into darknesses of both deeply personal grief and of universal sorrow.

Programme:

Carlo Gesualdo, Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia  (1611) 

Feria quinta (Maundy Thursday)

In monte Oliveti

                  Tristis est anima mea

                  Ecce vidimus eum

                  Amicus meus osculi

                  Judas mercator pessimus

                  Unus ex discipulis meis

                  Eran quasi agnus innocens

                  Una hora non potuistis

                  Seniores populi consilium

  Miserere mei, Deus

1 hour no interval

An evening of uplifting Christmas music from around the world. From Medieval carols to classic Yuletide songs and traditional Nativity hymns, this concert features the sublime sounds of Luminescence Chamber Singers with internationally acclaimed organ virtuoso Thomas Heywood, and the angelic strains of Luminescence Children’s Choir, bundled into one heavenly hour. Directed by Roland Peelman.

70 minutes, no interval.

Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.

ARTISTS
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Luminescence Children’s Choir
Thomas Heywood, organ
Roland Peelman AM

PROGRAMME

Once in Royal David’s City H.J. Gauntlett, arr. David Willcocks
Kindelwiegen (Vom Himmel Hoch) Traditional German, Arr. A.V. Othegraven
Noël Nouvelet Traditional French Carol, arr. Stephen Jackson
Coventry Carol Traditional
Rui Rui Chiu  Ascribed to Mateo Flecha the Elder (1481 - 1553) 
Corpus Christi  Benjamin Britten (from A Boy Is Born, 1933) arr. Ruth McCall
Joseph and Mary (Cherry Tree Carol) Kentucky, arr. Roland Peelman
Before the Paling of The Stars Cecilia McDowell (2012)
Carol of the Birds W. James & J. Wheeler, arr. Roland Peelman
The Christmas Card [WP] Deborah Cheetam, arr. Dan Walker 
A Child Is Born Roland Hanna/Thad Jones, arr. Roland Peelman
We Three Kings John Henry Hopkins, arr. Roland Peelman
Sleeping Child Bob Chilcott
O Little Town of Bethlehem Traditional English, arranged by David Willcocks
Hark The Herald Angels Sing F Mendelssohn, Arr. David Willcocks
O Come All Ye Faithful J.F. Wade Arr. David Willcocks
Stille Nacht Franz Xaver Gruber

From Mariah Carey to Wham, Luminescence’s own Rachel Mink brings her high-powered vocals and a uniquely entertaining twist to this Christmas classics-turned-cabaret. After the musical feast, loosen up your paper hat and let your hair down as Luminescence indulges in Christmas at its trashy, tinselled best.

Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Smith's Alternative. This event is restricted to 18+.

Please note that doors will open at 9.30pm for a 9.40pm performance.
1 hour no interval.

ARTISTS
Rachel Mink, voice
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Alex Raupach, trumpet and musical director
Tom Fell, saxophone
Chris Pound, bass/guitar
Eli Adisa, drums

A world premiere that rings out around the globe! Commissioned by Luminescence Children’s Choir together with choirs in Perth, Estonia, and Belgium, Andrew Ford’s new Christmas cycle is one for our time. Accompanied by Melbourne sensation Theo Carbo (electric guitar), this major new work aims to bring joy to all the children singing it for the first time this year, and all the children who will Sing The Birth in years to come. 

Co-commissioned in collaboration with the Flanders Boys Choir, Estonian Girls’ TV and Radio Choir, and the Schola Cantorum of St Aquinas College. Supported by Helen Moore AM, and the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund 2023. 

Performed concurrently in Canberra, Perth, Antwerp, and Tallin, this December 2024.

1 hour, no interval

Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.

ARTISTS
Luminescence Children’s Choir, directed by AJ America
Theo Carbo, electric guitar
Dan Walker, tenor
Lucien Fischer, baritone
Michelle Ryan, soprano
Thomas Heywood, organ
Roland Peelman AM, percussion
Valdas Cameron, percussion

PROGRAMME

Arvo Pärt Sarah Was 90 Years Old (1976)

Andrew Ford I Sing The Birth (2004) [World Premiere]

Experience the brilliance of Australia’s most acclaimed concert organist, Thomas Heywood, in an exclusive recital for A Luminous Christmas. Performing festive gems of the organ repertoire, this is a rare and unmissable opportunity to hear a master of this mighty instrument.

60 minutes, no interval.

Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.

ARTISTS
Thomas Heywood, organ

PROGRAMME

Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Fiat lux [Let there be light] from 12 Pièces Nouvelles pour Orgue [1893]

Two pieces by Théodore Dubois (1837-1924) from 12 Pièces pour Orgue [1886]

1. Marche des Rois Mages [‘March of the Magi Kings’], No. 9

2. Grand Choeur [in B-flat major], No. 12

Alan Gray (1855-1935)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), transcribed by Edward John Hopkins (1818-1901)
Pastorale from Concerto Grosso – ‘Christmas Concerto’, Op. 6 No. 8

Eugène Gigout (1844-1925)
Rhapsodie sur des Noels from Dix Piéces [10 Pieces for Organ] (1892)

Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), trans. Dr Frederick Hohman (b.1955)
Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a No. 3

Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Sortie (Grand Choeur) [in E major] from 10 Pièces pour Grand Orgue [1921]

John Ebenezer West (1863-1929)

Fantasy on Two well-known Christmas Carols

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Chorale Prelude on In dulci jubilo, BWV 729

Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
Choral-Improvisation on In dulci jubilo, Op. 75 No. 2

An evening of uplifting Christmas music from around the world. From Medieval carols to classic Yuletide songs and traditional Nativity hymns, this concert features the sublime sounds of Luminescence Chamber Singers with internationally acclaimed organ virtuoso Thomas Heywood, and the angelic strains of Luminescence Children’s Choir, bundled into one heavenly hour. Directed by Roland Peelman.

70 minutes, no interval.

Presented in partnership with Canberra International Music Festival and Wesley Music Centre.

ARTISTS
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Luminescence Children’s Choir
Thomas Heywood, organ
Roland Peelman AM

PROGRAMME

Once in Royal David’s City H.J. Gauntlett, arr. David Willcocks
Kindelwiegen (Vom Himmel Hoch) Traditional German, Arr. A.V. Othegraven
Noël Nouvelet Traditional French Carol, arr. Stephen Jackson
Coventry Carol Traditional
Rui Rui Chiu  Ascribed to Mateo Flecha the Elder (1481 - 1553) 
Corpus Christi  Benjamin Britten (from A Boy Is Born, 1933) arr. Ruth McCall
Joseph and Mary (Cherry Tree Carol) Kentucky, arr. Roland Peelman
Before the Paling of The Stars Cecilia McDowell (2012)
Carol of the Birds W. James & J. Wheeler, arr. Roland Peelman
The Christmas Card [WP] Deborah Cheetam, arr. Dan Walker 
A Child Is Born Roland Hanna/Thad Jones, arr. Roland Peelman
We Three Kings John Henry Hopkins, arr. Roland Peelman
Sleeping Child Bob Chilcott
O Little Town of Bethlehem Traditional English, arranged by David Willcocks
Hark The Herald Angels Sing F Mendelssohn, Arr. David Willcocks
O Come All Ye Faithful J.F. Wade Arr. David Willcocks
Stille Nacht Franz Xaver Gruber

“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]

As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.

Conducted by Roland Peelman AM

1 hour no interval

Please note that this performance will be held at Wesley Music Centre, Forrest.

Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan) 
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)

“Identity oversimplifies humans.
It denies the hybrid, as trees can't.
[…] Eons on, their concentric years
will be eloquent on suffering and old airs.” [Les Murray, Cool History]

As the legendary poet Les Murray reminded us, trees are the silent storytellers of human history. Amidst our relentless pursuit of modernity, their rings record deep time, carving stories of fire, flood, and slow growth. Join Luminescence Chamber Singers for a tapestry of old songs and stories. From ancient melodies to troubadour songs, timeless tunes, and the lyrics that summon nostalgia, Luminescence breathes new life into old airs.

Conducted by Roland Peelman AM

1 hour no interval

Please note that this performance will be held at Drill Hall Gallery, Acton.

Programme to include:
SEIKILOS EPITAPH Anon (2nd Century BCE) - Oldest surviving complete composition
TSINTSKARO Georgian folk song
ALS ICK U VINDE Hubert Waelrant (1584)
QUE FAREM DEL POBRE JOAN Mateu Fletxa el Vell (1481 – 1553)
KAIPAAVA trad. Finnish arr. Chydenius (1999)
EDO LULLABY trad. Japanese arr. Paul Smith (Japan) 
TROIS BEAUX OISEAUX DU PARADIS Maurice Ravel (1914)
S’POSIN P. Denniker/A. Razaf (1929)
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE E. Maschwitz/M. Sherwin (1939)
OLD AIRS Frank Nuyts (2008)

A daffodil emerges from beneath the frost. A bird sings; a flower unfurls. The first signs of spring are symbols of hope and promise, rebirth, renewal, and the passage of time. From Renaissance polyphony to contemporary classics, Luminescence Chamber Singers celebrate spring, the blossoming flowers, the shifting tides, and all that the changing seasons can mean to us. Featuring music by Giaches De Wert, Robert Davidson, James Wade, as well as the premiere of a Leah Blankendaal’s “Lake”, and a new instalment of Andrew Ford’s “Red Dirt Hymns”.

ARTISTS
AJ America, mezzo soprano
Lucien Fischer, baritone
Veronica Milroy, soprano
Rachel Mink, soprano
Alasdair Stretch, bass
Dan Walker, tenor

Much has been made of Bach’s fascination for numerology and his penchant for encoding his name in his music. The BACH motif is perhaps the most famous musical cryptogram, but it was by no means the first.  From Josquin de Prez to Heinrich Schütz, composers have weaved their own name in the very fabric of their music.

In this concert of musical cyphers, Luminescence Chamber Singers join forces with guest artist Anna Freer (violin/voice) to perform Bach’s monumental Partita no.2 in D Minor, interwoven with some of Bach’s most beloved chorales. The concert culminates in a new arrangement of the Chaconne – a setting for voices and violin that reveals a tapestry of references to Bach chorales buried in bones of the Chaccone.

ARTISTS
AJ America, mezzo soprano
Lucien Fischer, baritone
Anna Freer, violin/voice
Veronica Milroy, soprano
Alasdair Stretch, bass
Dan Walker, tenor

Much has been made of Bach’s fascination for numerology and his penchant for encoding his name in his music. The BACH motif is perhaps the most famous musical cryptogram, but it was by no means the first.  From Josquin de Prez to Heinrich Schütz, composers have weaved their own name in the very fabric of their music.

In this concert of musical cyphers, Luminescence Chamber Singers join forces with guest artist Anna Freer (violin/voice) to perform Bach’s monumental Partita no.2 in D Minor, interwoven with some of Bach’s most beloved chorales. The concert culminates in a new arrangement of the Chaconne – a setting for voices and violin that reveals a tapestry of references to Bach chorales buried in bones of the Chaccone.

ARTISTS
AJ America, mezzo soprano
Lucien Fischer, baritone
Anna Freer, violin/voice
Veronica Milroy, soprano
Alasdair Stretch, bass
Dan Walker, tenor

“Dusty monuments, faded masterpieces, gentlemen geniuses…”

But where are the women?! Sally Whitwell’s song cycle Pictures at an exHERbition is a creative redress, a rebalancing of the history books. Starting its life as the composer’s lockdown project, Pictures at an exHERbition is a survey in ekphrastic song of the depth and breadth of work by Australian women artists, from Grace Cossington-Smith and Thea Proctor through to Katy B Plummer.

Presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia, this performance features the world premiere of several newly commissioned songs in the Pictures at an exHERbition cycle. Performed by Luminescence Chamber Singers and Luminescence Children’s Choir with the composer herself at the piano.”

Pictures at an exHERbition is presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia, and supported by the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation.

ARTISTS
Sally Whitwell, piano
Luminescence Children’s Choir
Luminescence Chamber Singers

AJ America, mezzo soprano
Veronica Milroy, soprano
Rachel Mink, soprano
Dan Walker, tenor
Alasdair Stretch, bass

Enjoy a summer afternoon in the beautiful heritage gardens of Gorman Arts Centre with great food, the best locally grown wine, and incredible music. Be transported by the exquisite voices of the Luminescence Chamber Singers while you indulge in a sumptuous afternoon tea of locally sourced charcuterie and grazing treats. Meet the wine makers of Canberra regional winery Collector Wines as they delight you with tastings of their award-winning wines. 

Included: Performance by Luminescence Chamber Singers, Collector Winery tasting, afternoon tea, and bottomless tea and coffee

Additional: Collector Wines by the glass, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks

Seats are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

Programme to include music by Adrian Willaert, Orlando Lasso, Juan Ponce, Alice Chance, Edith Piaf, nordic folk songs and more,

The vast depths of the sea. The infinite expanse of the heavens.

In Luminescence’s third instalment of SoloSeries, soprano Veronica Milroy joins harpist Rowan Phemister to perform music that explores the endless possibilities of the unknown.

Program

Andrew FORD | Little Star

Per NØRGÅRD | Fons Laetitiae

Loreena McKENNITT | Stolen Child

TRAD. | My Lagan Love

Miriam HYDE | Tone Poems of the Sea

I Calm Shore at Morning

II Sails at Noon

III A Chill Wind Scatters the Foam

IV Deep Lies an Ancient Wreck

VI Sunset

TRAD. | She Moved Thru the Fair

Loreena McKENNITT | Moon Cradle

Lisa KNAPP | Shipping Song

Don McLEAN arr. Patrick BAKER | Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)

Luminescence Children’s Choir Holiday program is a 6-day workshop for young people aged 7–12 who love to sing.  There is no application or audition requirement for our holiday program – all young singers are welcome!

Join our holiday program participants in a joyful celebration of life on and under the sea.

Featuring music by Stephen Leek, Dan Walker, Rebecca Hilliard, this performed invites young singers to explore their voices and the magic of singing together.

Der Doppelgänger is the second instalment of Luminescence Chamber Singers' SoloSeries.

Be it a ghostly apparition, a shadow-self, or alter-ego, artists have long been fascinated with the doppelgänger. From the ancient Egyptians ‘ka’ to the ‘fetch’ of 18th and 19th Century Celtic literature, encountering your own mysterious look-alike was often taken as bad omen - a frightening harbinger of death or disease.  The doppelgänger evokes the uncanny, and estranges us from ourselves.

In Der Doppelgänger, Jack Stephens and Ronan Apcar present German Lieder by Schubert, Strauss, and Wolf that explores our many selves: the reflection in the mirror you do not recognise, who we become when we are in love, or when we stand face to face with death. Identities curated, distorted, or ever changing - these are all doppelgängers of sorts.

ARTISTS

JACK STEPHENS bass

RONAN APCAR piano

PROGRAMME

Der Wanderer D 489 | Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Zueignung Op. 10 | Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949)

Erlkönig Op. 1 D 328 | Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Song Without Words Op. 62 No. 3 | Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)

Verborgenheit | Hugo Wolf (1860 – 1903)

Denn es gehet dem Menschen Op. 121 No. 1 | Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)

Siegfried’s Funeral March from Götterdämmerung | Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883) arr. Ferruccio Busoni (1866 – 1924)

Der Doppelgänger D957 | Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Fear no more the heat o’ the sun Op. 18 | Gerald Finzi (1901 – 1956)

The world’s richest singing traditions somehow emerged around the outer edges of our planet. Between the vocal wonders of Northern Lights and the ancient sounds of the Southern continent, mysterious pathways can be drawn and redrawn.  Some of Canberra’s most prominent vocal groups join forces in a choral event reaching across the globe in song.  

Program includes music by Sarah Hopkins, Gillian Whitehead, Anna Thorwaldsdottir, Brenda Gifford (WP), and new commissioned work by Ella Macens (WP).

Artists

Luminescence Chamber Singers
William Barton, didgeridoo
Sally Walker, flute
Oriana Chorale
Kompactus Youth Choir

Presented by the Canberra International Music Festival

The expeditions of Colombus and Vasco da Gama altered the map of the world for once and all. In order to keep some order, the Pope had to draw a straight line 370 leagues beyond the Cape Verde Islands, north to south, pole to pole. This artificial border from 1494 designated the ‘West’ to Spain and the ‘East’ to Portugal.  Centuries later, in the aftermath of WWII, our much expanded world was held in precarious balance between the US and the USSR.  

This concert features four musical realms. Spain’s medieval cantigas, earthy and seductive still today, contrast with the sumptuous polyphony of Portugal’s Golden Age. Steve Reich’s New York eighties vibe provides the perfect foil for Shostakovich’s sixth quartet, a masterpiece of Soviet optimism post-Stalin.  

 Artists

Luminescence Chamber Singers
Orava String Quartet
Jason Nobel, Clarinet

Programme

Cantigas de Santa Maria  (Spain). ca 15’ 

Manuel Cardoso and Dom Pedro de Cristo (Portugal), motets 

INTERVAL 

Steve Reich, New York Counterpoint 

Dimitri Shostakovich, String Quartet nr 6   

Canberra International Music Festival returns to Belconnen with a world of music for all tastes: anything from Balinese gamelan to Persian music or the contemporary riffs of Ike (from) Pluto. Local groups mingle with visiting artists from across Australia. First Nations artists set the tone, including the extraordinary Māori performer Horomona Horo.

Luminescence Children’s Choir will perform in the Generator Gallery at 5.30pm.

This is a free performance.

Soak in the Summer atmosphere at Pialligo Estate and be swept away to another world as the Luminescence Chamber Singers perform a wide range of music from the Renaissance to the 21st century.

Indulge in an afternoon tea of charcuterie, sandwiches and dessert featuring hand picked produce grown just past the Olive Grovein the Estate’s 55-acre working farm. Start the afternoon sipping on bubbles, and when you’re ready, enjoy bottomless tea from The Tea Centre’s range.

Included: Sparkling on arrival, Afternoon tea consisting of charcuterie, sandwiches, desserts and bottomless tea
Additional: Beer, Wine and Spirits from list