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Attendance at Cathedral Concert rises to musical heights

PageantofHymnsConcertAugust2015

‘A Pageant of Hymns’, the second in a series of three concerts held at St Mary’s this year, featured glorious solos by Yann Kee, Joshua Adams, Alexander Platts and a selection of treble choristers, supported by the harmonious voices of the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir. PHOTO: Mat De Sousa.

By Mat De Sousa

More than 150 people braved the weekend’s bad weather on Sunday evening, 9 August to be treated to a heartwarming musical performance at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth.

A Pageant of Hymns, the second in a series of three concerts held at St Mary’s this year, featured glorious solos by Yann Kee (soprano), Joshua Adams (tenor/baritone), Alexander Platts (Bass) and a selection of treble choristers, supported by the harmonious voices of the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir.

Performed on the steps of the Cathedral sanctuary, a six-piece string ensemble, along with the grand sounds of the Cathedral’s Dodd pipe organ, provided a flawless accompaniment to old favourites such as Amazing Grace, Deep River, The Lord is my Shepherd and Soul of my Saviour.

“Hymns are such a powerful expression of our human spirit turning to God in different times of our life and it was wonderful to present a program devoted to this ‘genre’,” said Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Jacinta Jakovcevic.

“The program gave us the opportunity to explore the traditional versions of hymns and then present them alongside ‘newer’ musical settings of these same texts.”

In addition to the outstanding performances, Ms Jakovcevic played a selection of popular organ solos which included Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 and Giuseppe Verdi’s Ave Maria from Otello.

Before introducing the second act, Ms Jakovcevic launched the latest CD from the Cathedral Choir which features a variety of hymns, motets, chants and organ improvisations while showcasing the collective harmonies of the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir and individual talent of selected cantors and soloists.

The significant rise in Sunday’s attendance from individuals both within and outside of the Church can be attributed to the grandeur of the classics played and to the soul-stirring take on modern hymns such as Rivers of Babylon and Joyful, Joyful (Ode to Joy).

“It was great to invite the audience to join in singing with the Cathedral Choir – the audience included many non-Catholic members who don’t attend Mass or liturgies here at the Cathedral – it was wonderful to continue to invite and host our wider community of Perth here at the Cathedral,” said Ms Jakovcevic.

“This concert seemed to create a special interaction between the community and our musicians, in particular, our Cathedral Choir.”

The final concert, themed Music for Wind and Brass, will take place on Tuesday, 27 October at 7.30pm.

This concert will be presented jointly with the UWA School of Music and will feature the UWA Symphonic Chorus, UWA Vocal Consort and the Cathedral Choir in an explosion of music from the Renaissance to the present day.

The cost of tickets is $35 ($28 concession). Tickets available from the Cathedral piety stall, online at www.ticketswa.com or by calling 08 6488 2440.