Cantos Sagrados

Sam Allchurch | 
Conductor Sydney Chamber Choir David Greco | Baritone Thomas Wilson | Organ

This concert brings together three powerful 20th- and 21st-century masterworks for choir and organ that explore the human and the divine through poetry, faith and song.

Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb is both joyful and deeply moving — a portrait of faith and imagination forged in adversity. Setting Christopher Smart's visionary verses, written during his confinement in an asylum, Britten captures the poet's struggle and wonder in music that shimmers with tenderness, wit and transcendence.

Scottish composer James MacMillan's Cantos Sagrados (Sacred Songs) interweaves Latin liturgical texts with contemporary Latin American poetry confronting oppression and injustice. The result is music of searing intensity and compassion, uniting sacred devotion with 
 a cry for human dignity.

Completing the program is Ralph Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, in which the radiant poetry of George Herbert finds eloquent expression in Vaughan Williams' glowing harmonies and soaring melodies. The work features acclaimed baritone David Greco, whose expressive artistry brings warmth and depth to these beloved songs.

Partnering with master organist Thomas Wilson, we will create an afternoon of profound beauty and reflection — a celebration of faith, resilience and the enduring power of the human spirit.