After receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Compendium at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, VOCES8 has been a hot commodity taking the world by storm.
Fresh off shows in Germany, the UK and Singapore, this preeminent British vocal ensemble will take roost for a week in Brisbane to bring us two phenomenal, yet completely different concerts: The Lost Birds and Sing with VOCES8. Each will showcase the incredible love and joy of singing that VOCES8 shares and offer two distinct experiences – a concert at the QPAC Concert Hall, and a pub-choir-like sing-along at the QSO Studio.
The Lost Birds – 8 + 9 June
Kicking off their Brisbane tour, VOCES8 will join forces with Queensland Symphony Orchestra, guest conductor Barnaby Smith and British/German Violinist, Jack Liebeck. On 8 and 9 June, voice and instrument collaborate to bring you a collection of works that evoke a sense of connection to the natural world and birds who call it home.
We take flight and remain there for the duration of our concert, beginning with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. This short piece is inspired by a poem of the same name, as we find Liebeck and his violin playing the role of a bird’s song and its flight, joined by the heavenly vocals VOCES8.
Continuing with our theme, the next composition by Caroline Shaw (the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music), sees VOCES8 and Liebeck flying solo as they perform and the swallow. Inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis, Shaw empathised with their universal yearning to find home and safety for their children, translated through lyrics such as “the sparrow found a house and the swallow her nest, where she may place her young”.
The concert concludes with the titular The Lost Birds by American composer, Christopher Tin. Originally recorded with VOCES8 and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, The Lost Birds is a musical memorial to bird species, who are increasingly driven to extinction by the threats of modern industrialism and humankind.
A Grammy-nominated studio album, The Lost Birds will serenade the audience with twelve songs appreciating our feathered friends and reminding us of our collective responsibility to preserve them.
Those attending Saturday’s matinee will see the addition of Felix Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave), which takes us to the British Isles and the Scottish island of Staffa, as we explore Fingal’s Cave – a famous hexagonal basalt cave known for its natural acoustics.
Sing with VOCES8
Now it is time to swap those concert programs for sheet music, as we warm our vocals to Sing with VOCES8. While hanging out with QSO at their Studio in South Bank, VOCES8 are sticking around a bit longer to share the joy of singing with their audiences.
Taking the popular phenomenon of Pub Choir and dialling it up to VOCES8, this concert is perfect for those who love to sing – and don’t worry, you don’t need to be a songbird, just have a passion and willingness to learn!
The audience is provided with a list of songs and sheet music before the event and guided through a workshop that will conclude with both the audience and ensemble singing in perfect harmony.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see, listen and learn from the best, and discover the transformative power of music!
Book your tickets to The Lost Birds at the QPAC Concert Hall, on 8 June 7.30pm and 9 June 1.30pm.
Bookings are required to secure your place to Sing with VOCES8 at the QSO Studio, ABC Building South Bank, on 10 June 6.30PM.
