‘Boarding now’ – The Sydney Children’s Choir leaves for ‘Summer in Europe’
The homes of singers in the Sydney Children’s Choir will be uncharacteristically quiet over the school holidays as the choir heads to Europe on tour this northern summer. Sydney airport will be ringing with the excitement of 41 children aged between 11 and 15 as they board their aircraft for the long journey that will tkae them to performances at the world’s most prestigious choral festival, Polyfollia, in Normandy, France, Barcelona, Lyon, Paris and London at St John’s Smith Square, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral. Lasting over 3 weeks, it’s their longest international tour to date.
On the tour, the choir will perform some of the over 100 works commissioned from leading Australian composers by Artistic Director and Founder Lyn Williams OAM as well as traditional songs in indigenous languages.
This is the 10th international tour for the Sydney Children’s Choir, since its inception in 1989. Previous tours have included national and international destinations, amongs them, Indonesia, Singapore, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and China.
Lyn Williams OAM will be conducting the choir over the three-and-a-half week tour, joined by Assistant Conductor Sam Allchurch and ARIA Award-winning pianist and composer Sally Whitwell.
“The repertoire we have been rehearsing is vibrant and challenging and provides a platform to exhibit the voices of these fine young choristers. I’m excited to share the work of Australian composers with choral and classical music fans in Europe” says Ms Williams.
Miranda Ilchef, 14, from Greenwich, is a seasoned traveller. For her, Summer in Europe is her second international tour with the ensemble. “The thrill of singing to an appreciative audience in Westminster Abbey is an experience that I can hardly wait to share with my friends. I know that I will remember this tour for many years to come,” she says.
Click here for concert itinerary
