Looking to the future Building on the artistic successes of recent years, the Choir has big plans for the future. These include performing some of the most iconic works in the choral repertoire such as Bach‘s St Matthew PaSSion, elgar‘s the DreaM of gerontiuS and Beethoven‘s ninth SyMPhony. Works of such a scale will take us to the limits of our musical and organisational capacity and we cannot undertake such ventures without the financial support from our generous doners, sponsors and benefactors. The Choir is grateful to all donors, whose contributions assist in making these plans possible and ensuring continuing excellence in choral performance and delighting audiences. If you are interested in supporting us, please contact our Development Manager on development@sugc.com.au

Join usThe Choir welcomes all new experienced members. An audition with the Music Director is required. For membership enquiries, details about choir policies and more information about auditions and fees please visit our website at:

Sydneyuniversitygraduatechoir.com.au   

The Sydney University Graduate Choir The Choir was established in 1952 as the graduate group of the Sydney University Music Society (founded in 1878) and today has over 100 singers.

It is committed to high quality performances of great choral music, and its extensive versatile and innovative repertoire ranges from the grand works of the established masters to the music of contemporary composers. The Choir’s Patron is Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO.

The Choir sings under the direction of the highly respected conductor and composer Christopher Bowen OAM, who has been Music Director since 1992, making 2017 his 25th anniversary as Director of SUGC in 2017. Christopher has established a very strong partnership with the Choir, enriching its repertoire and setting new performance standards. Under his musical leadership the Choir has given several Australian premiere performances of choral works and commissioned many outstanding new works.

Welcome to our 2018 concert season! We invite you to an exciting new concert season with beautiful and moving masterworks, accompanied by large orchestras and acclaimed soloists.

Our 2018 concert series opens with two of MenDelSSohn’s exquisite large-scale PSalM compostions that he regarded as some of his best, and nicolai’s monumental te DeuM.

Our all-Beethoven concert in August features his early and impressive cantata on the Death of eMPeror JoSePh ii, and his very personal MaSS in c MaJor. In commemoration of the centenary of the World War I armistice, we conclude our 2018 Subscription series with Christopher Bowen’s moving an auStralian war reQuieM in the Sydney Town Hall.

Our final 2018 concert in December features the Sydney University Graduate Chamber Choir with roSSini’s extraordinary Petite MeSSe Solennelle. For this Great Hall chamber concert we offer a special price of $40 for our subscribers

An AustrAliAn WAr requiem

C. BOWEN

BEEthOvEN cantata for the Death

of emperor Joseph ii WoO 87

Mass in c major op.86

te Deum 1832

Psalm 114 Op. 51: Da Israel aus Ägypten zogPsalm 42 Op. 42: Wie der Hirsch schreit

NiCOlai

MENdElssOhN

Reserved seating area and separate entrance for subscribers!

concert SeASOn

2018

University of Sydney Great Hall

orchestra & Soloistschristopher Bowen Music Director

Our 2018 concert season opens with some of MenDelSSohn’s best sacred choral music. His PSalM 42 features a great wealth of forms and styles, and he considered it “my best sacred piece”. The monumental PSalM 114, set for 8-part choir, is certainly one of his most impressive works. nicolai’s large te DeuM, notable for its expressive music and orchestral colour, completes this concert.

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Sunday 6th May 2018 3.00pm

te Deum 1832

Psalm 114 Op. 51: Da Israel aus Ägypten zogPsalm 42 Op. 42: Wie der Hirsch schreit

NiCOlai

MENdElssOhN

NiCOlai

MENdElssOhN

Our August concert is entirely dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring his MaSS in c MaJor and the cantata for the Death of eMPeror JoSePh ii. The Mass reveals an intensely personal and vividly dramatic response to the traditional Mass text. His beautiful cantata clearly breathes the spirit of enlightenment and is prescient when it calls for “the monster of Fanaticism” to be crushed.

BEEthOvEN cantata for the Death

of emperor Joseph ii WoO 87

Mass in c major op.86

This special concert on the day of the centenary of World War I’s armistice presents Christopher Bowen’s an auStralian war reQuieM, a critically acclaimed meditation on conflict and loss with an uniquely Australian perspective. Set to a deeply moving libretto created by PAMeLA TRAYnOR, based on letters between Australian soldiers at the front and their mothers, the work portrays grief and loss in a truly universal way. It transcends the national context and shows the futility of war.

An AustrAliAn WAr requiem

+ GUEST CHOIR

C. BOWEN

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University of Sydney Great HallSunday 12th August 2018 3.00pm

Sydney Town HallSunday 11th November 2018 3.00pm

C. BOWEN

BEEthOvENorchestra & Soloists

christopher Bowen Music Director

orchestra & Soloistschristopher Bowen Music Director

“One of the most moving and profound experiences”

Renowned mezzo-soprano Lauris Elms AM OBE

Our final 2018 concert features the Sydney University Graduate Chamber Choir with roSSini’s exquisite Petite MeSSe Solennelle in its original instrumentation for two pianos and harmonium. This instrumentation, reminiscent of elevated salon music, creates an unmistakable timbre, while Rossini’s typical rhythm provides the operatic flair to this mass. Full of drama, colour and intensity, Rossini labelled this work, not without irony, as petite (little).

two pianos, harmonium & Soloistschristopher Bowen Music Director

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Petite Messe Solennelle

ROssiNiUniversity of Sydney Great HallSunday 9th December 2018 5.00pm

ROssiNi

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BSB: 082 338 Account number: 17 201 7685 Account name: Sydney University Graduate Choir Inc. Reference: Sub18, your last name, your first name cheque to Sydney University Graduate Choir Inc.* *Please use full name

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Please send this completed form (which can also be downloaded from our homepage) with your payment to: Sydney university graduate choir inc., Po Box 289, enmore nSw 2042 or email subscriptions@sugc.com.auABN 77480869744 | Charitable Fundraising Authority: CFN24517

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2 0 1 8  ConCert season subsCription

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Donation The Sydney University Graduate Choir Inc. is most grateful for all donations. 

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Privacy aSSurance: The information you provide on this form is collected by the Sydney University Graduate Choir to maintain contact and keep you up-to-date with information about the choir, its events and achievements.It may also be passed on to groups affiliated with the University of Sydney, such as the University of Sydney Division of Alumni & Development

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*Only in conjunction with the purchase of a 2018 Subscription Package.

2018 concert Season Subscription Package @ $140 (a saving of $15) ....................................................................(includes a ticket for each of the May and August 2018 Great Hall concerts and the Australian War Requiem in november 2018)

Set(s) of 3 program vouchers* for the 2018 Concert Season Subscription Package @ $20 ............(a saving of $4 on box office prices)

Tickets for Sydney University Graduate Chamber Choir concert - roSSini: Petite MeSSe Solennelle* Great Hall | Sunday 9 December 2018, 5.00pm | Tickets @ $40 (a saving of $5) ....................................................................................additional tickets* at reduced prices for the three 2018 subscription concerts (a saving of $3 per concert)

Concert 1 - MenDelSSohn: Psalms 42 & 114 / nicolai: te Deum | Great Hall | Sunday 6 May 2018, 3.00pm ....... $47 per ticket

Concert 2 - Beethoven: cantata / Mass in c minor | Great Hall | Sunday 12 August 2018, 3.00pm .............................. $47 per ticket

Concert 3 - Bowen: an australian war requiem | Sydney Town Hall | Sunday 11 November 2018, 3.00pm ...... $52 per ticket