Oriana will return—The Goulburn Post

“We’ll be back” was the conclusion of members of the 30-strong Oriana Chorale who visited Gunning on Sunday afternoon for a superb concert of unaccompanied sacred choral music called The Romantics.

“And we’ll have you back any time” was the response of the capacity audience in the Court Room.  It was an afternoon of utter delight; the Chorale was a pure musical instrument under the direction of its effervescent conductor Tobias Cole.

As good as the music was, it was the history that went with each piece that doubled the afternoon’s pleasure.  The choir began with the tradition of the German chorale, starting with baroque church music and going on to the 19th century German romantic composers Mendelssohn, Brahms and Bruckner, which built on that tradition, especially when they rediscovered the music of J S Bach.  After the interval, the musical tradition switched to the Orthodox-inspired Russian romantics Glinka and Tchaikovsky and the Italian operatic tradition of Rossini and Verdi, before a touch of semi-modernism from Reger.

The final, telling, music was a return to Bach.  The chorale from the St Matthew PassionO Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (often translated into English as Oh Sacred Head sore wounded) would have brought tears to a stone statue for its ineffable beauty.  A truly wonderful concert.

One couple visiting Gunning as part of a car rally were so impressed by hearing the Chorale’s rehearsal of Verdi’s Ave Maria that they stayed for the concert – there can be no better advertising than knowing the treat that’s in store for you.

After the concert the members of the Chorale and the audience continued our tradition of afternoon tea at the Bentley Café.  Once more the choir was most impressed with what Gunning has to offer.

Oriana’s visit was a triumph of musical networking and the Court Room’s pure acoustics.  Oriana contacted the Focus Group in March following the successful recital by Arnan and Uzi Wiesel and asked to come and play in Gunning.  After ten years the Focus Group is well equipped to respond to such an offer and Tobias Cole’s words at the end of the concert after the applause had died down were a tribute to the Gunning organisation.

Top ten concerts hit all the high notes—The Canberra Times

By W.L. Hoffman

The Oriana Chorale, conducted by former Canberran Tobias Cole, provided a concert of superior unaccompanied choral singing, titled An Australian Summer, which most effectively matched music by Australian composers with readings of poems by Aust ralian poets.