For those of you who may have missed this concert from Thursday Island, you can now watch it here! Enjoy... Greg
Ailan Kores
Voices separated by sea will sing as one for Ailan Kores, a free choral spectacular celebrating at once the unity and diversity of Torres Strait Islander culture.
Singers from six islands of the Torres Strait will come together for this premiere production, over one year in the making.
Accompanied by six soloists and the Queensland Youth Orchestra, the combined choir of more than 40 voices will perform a program of local hymns mixed with iconic devotional pieces from European composers, startlingly transformed to express the Torres Strait’s tradition of exuberant music worship.
In addition to classics such as the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel and excerpts from Bach’s St John Passion, audiences will enjoy a world premiere choral work by renowned contemporary Australian composer Damian Barbeler.
To reflect the region’s cultural and linguistic diversity, many of these works have been translated into Western, Central and Eastern language groups, as well as Yumplatok. The evening will open at twilight with a performance from the Torres Strait Youth Choir performing traditional songs to set the mood for this magnificent celebration of Torres Strait music.
