Eric Whitacre conducts young adult ensemble VOX in the Australian premiere of his latest choral work Eternity in an Hour. Jointly commissioned by the 2024 BBC Proms, Netherlands Radio Choir and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, this “hour-long meditation in sound” is inspired by William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence and written for voices, instruments and “an ethereal blanket of electronics”. The program also includes Whitacre’s earlier works Lux Aurumque and Cloudburst; Sarah Hopkins’ Past Life Melodies; and Edwin London’s Bach (Again), after JS Bach’s Come, Sweet Death.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

These words by William Blake have fascinated Eric Whitacre for years, and his obsession has taken shape as an hour-long meditation in sound – a musical guide to ‘how to be truly in the moment’. Written for voices, instruments and an ethereal blanket of electronics, Eternity in an Hour shimmers and soars and fills the air with disembodied harmonies.

Whitacre is a legend in the choral world – his charismatic music with its delicious chord clusters is a dream to sing and mesmerising to hear – and he makes a welcome return to the Sydney Opera House with this new hour-long creation.

Preparing our ears for the ultimate in contemplative experiences, Whitacre has chosen two of his most popular choral works, Edwin London’s take on a Bach chorale, ‘Come, sweet death’, and Past Life Melodies by Sarah Hopkins, an immersive blending of global vocal traditions that has become one of the most performed Australian choral works worldwide.