New Choral Works in 2024

Composed as a joint commission by Voices of Birralee and Somerville House the work was written by Will Brown for Brisbane Birralee Voices and Cantrice and Camerata choirs from Somerville House. As the groups were touring to Hobart for the Festival of Voices they wanted to share a new work at the festival. Brisbane composer, music educator and Birralee conductor Will was commissioned to write a two movement work and he says of his inspiration for the piece:

“Tasmania” has meant many things over time. Nowadays, it is a desirable getaway for modern Australian’s while a century or two ago it was a place of exile and deprivation for so many. But for most of it’s history it was known by another name – Lutruwita. This is the word for Tasmania in the reconstructed indigenous language “Palawi” . The fact that there is a “reconstructed“ indigenous language reminds us of what has been lost from this part of the world. But it also gives us hope that voices that were once silenced for so long can be heard again.

This piece was given its premiere in June 2024 in Brisbane before being performed at the Festival.

In June 2024, Voices of BIrralee hosted the second Queensland Sings Concert hosted by the Birralee Singers and bringing together upper primary school choristers from many different schools. The Birralee Singers presented the world premiere of Sounds of Summer written by recent Qld Conservatorium of Music graduate and Birralee Resonance member Inge Dekker. Inge workshopped and rehearsed the piece with the Birralee Singers in her role as both composer and Conductor Intern. The piece was then performed again at Birralee Celebrates 2024 and this recording is from that performance.

Commissioned for the Queensland in Song Concert (June 2024) this work was written by Birralee Artistic Director Paul Holley OAM with lyrics by Joshua Clifford. The piece was premiered by Birralee Singers and choristers from Citipointe Christian College, Robertson State School, Ironside State School, Padua College and St Anthony's Primary School. A song about the joys of flying a kite, this piece was a hit with the young choristers. This piece was also performed at Birralee Celebrates 2024, this time by Birralee Singers, Birralee Kids and Birralee Piccolos.

Written as part of The Vincent Project this work by young Brisbane composer Abigail Lui and lyricist Emily Winter is one of the 6 commissioned pieces for the project that sees composers respond to a Vincent Van Gogh painting. The inspiration for this piece was Vincent's Sunflowers painting from 1888 and in the work Emily's text tells of life for Vincent in Arles at the time of painting this exquisite work. The work was premiered by Resonance of Birralee at their Radiance concert in November 2024.