Renowned for its consort singing, The Gesualdo Six begins its Australian tour at MONA’s Elektra – Anselm Kiefer’s colossal concrete amphitheatre. In Sydney, Lux Aeterna spans Tallis, Gesualdo, Tavener and contemporary composers including Joanna Marsh and Richard Rodney Bennett, while Hemispheres is a collaborative program of luminous polyphony with St James’ Choir. The British vocal ensemble then performs alongside the Australian Boys Choir in Melbourne, as well as joining forces with the Festival Statesmen and St Peter’s Cathedral Choir in Adelaide. The tour concludes with two performances of The Wishing Tree at UKARIA and Brisbane’s QPAC, tracing Byrd, Josquin, Stanford, Poulenc and British folk traditions.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

A poignant, hopeful sequence of sacred music from across the centuries.

The Gesualdo Six present a poignant, hopeful sequence of sacred music containing radiant choral writing from across the centuries.

Highlights include Tallis’ polyphonic masterpiece, In jejunio et fletu, alongside the astonishing harmonies of Gesualdo in Plange quasi virgo.

Both composers beautifully capture a sense of vulnerability in their works, asking for forgiveness and protection. From more recent times, there is the effortless poetic settings of Joanna Marsh and Richard Rodney Bennett, who call on us to enjoy all that life has to offer. Elsewhere, pieces by Tavener and Morales present a series of questions, seeking reassurance. If you like, this is an uplifting sequence for the souls of the departed, to be heard by those who remember them.