New Book Release: ‘A Choral Century’ Celebrates 100 Years Of Choral Singing in Sydney

The Choral Centenary Book Association is pleased and proud to announce the publication of A Choral Century – Sydney Philharmonia 1920-2020. This is a 300 page book lavishly illustrated with more than 100 photos showing how the choir developed over the past hundred years. Loosely structured around the tenures of its nine musical directors, this account is about people who loved performing for the enjoyment of others and whose actions and activities were very much a reflection of the times in which they lived.

The book leads the reader from the choir’s earliest days in Sydney’s suburban inner-west, through the difficulties of the Great Depression and the drama of World War II to performances in the Sydney Town Hall, the opening of the Sydney Opera House, Australia’s Bicentennial celebrations, the Sydney Olympic Games and the Choir’s trips to the UK to sing at the London Proms. It includes stories of the great (and occasionally not so great) conductors, soloists and choral music Sydney Philharmonia has encountered on its journey.

The book is published by the Choral Centenary Book Association Please address all enquiries to achoralcentury@gmail.com

The book costs $50 plus postage of $12 (for one or two copies). Postage outside Australia: please contact the publishers. Should you prefer to avoid the postage charge, you may collect the book in person from one of the authors’ homes in Roseville, Wollstonecraft or Bowral.

If you’re interested in buying A Choral Century, please email achoralcentury@gmail.com with your preferred delivery option, including your postal address if by mail, or from which location you would like to collect your copy.

If you are collecting a book in person, cash payment is accepted. There is no credit card facility. For mailed books, if you are unable to pay by direct transfer, payment by cheque is possible. Please say this in your email and we will send details of the cheque payee name and address because the above account does not accept cheques.