Music / Luminescence Children’s Choir Winter Concert, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. August 16. Reviewed by DAVID WHITBREAD

Having long admired Canberra’s Luminescence Chamber Singers, this concert was a first: hearing the Luminescence Children’s Choir.

And the quality of the Luminescence brand is safe with this excellent ensemble. They are well-trained, have a pleasing stage presence, and their high quality performance has all the hallmarks of that beautiful blended tone of the best choirs.

This is of course a tribute to the solid training and clear direction they receive from conductor and founder AJ America and regular (and let’s just say phenomenal) piano accompanist and composer Sally Whitwell. The young singers are responsive to their inspired direction, following the nuanced interpretation with precision and even enthusiasm.

Today’s program was mostly by contemporary Australian, nay Canberra, composers and started magnificently with the Bird King Suite by Dan Walker. Wow! Fantastic piano accompaniments and a choral showpiece exhibiting all moods across its three movements. There was a nice soprano solo and the choir made a spectacular crescendo in the peaceful Heart Bell second movement, before The Bird King march grand finale. A wonderful work.

Having enjoyed this performance so much, it is a shame that occasionally the piano overpowered the 15 young vocalists. This might have been resolved with a tighter soundcheck in the venue, as the venue acoustic tends to favour the piano over the voices.

The second work was two movements from Four Went on Holidays, a new work by Sally Whitwell. The first Who Has Seen the Wind started with wordless choir against glorious Impressionistic piano swirling. The second Hey Ho, My Dearie, exhibited a fine unison, great diction and some nice echo effects.

To diversify a choral program, it is always great to hear young musicians performing solos. Pianist Celine Trinh played Icarus, a recent work by Tony Ann. Her fine rhythmic playing shaped the work, navigating the complex harmonies and skilfully bringing the melodies forward. Violinist Sebastian Carrigy-Ryan handled the Allegro from Telemann’s Concerto in G nicely, finishing with some impressive and frenzied double-stopping.

A quartet of singers prepared and performed the dance-like Swedish folksong Nu ar det synd om de doda (Now it’s a pity about the dead) by Kraja. The four lovely voices, well balanced, sang this delightfully.

Then guest marimba player Veronica Bailey played Mexican Dance No 2 by Gordon Stout with good definition of the parts, scampering across the keyboard with her mallets.

Luminescence Children’s Choir returned for a ‘helluva ride’ and ‘something they might like to sing’ written for them by Belgian composer Frank Nuyts. This was the first and last movements from his seven song set Pim Pernuckle for choir and marimba. What a great piece the whole must be. These tasters were lovely and fresh, delighting in word play, particularly ‘wiggle wiggle’ in the whirlwind of the finale.

The grand finale was Moto Perpetuo, a new work by pianist Sally Whitwell. This complex rhythmic vocal work had some rock solid tight harmonies, some choreographed stamping and clapping. It was an exciting conclusion to the concert.

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