The Tasmanian celebration of all things vocal features hundreds of performers from Australia and overseas. Traditional and contemporary works rub shoulders with cabaret and educational workshops, while headline acts include Sydney’s The Song Company and the Canberra-based Luminescence Chamber Singers. Choral highlights include a program of women’s song hosted at the Cascades Female Factory, a four-choir exploration of works from the 14th century to today, and Vox Harmony and Melbourne’s Concordis Chamber Choir performing modern Australian repertoire. This year’s Classical Choral Workshop focuses on Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor, learned over five days, and performed at Hobart’s Federation Concert Hall. (Read our interview with Artistic Director Isobel Marmion.)

Limelight Editor’s Choice

Part protest, part celebration, Spinifex Gum is an Australian festival show created by Felix Riebl of The Cat Empire. Created in close collaboration with Michael Woodley, Chief Executive Officer of the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, Riebl crafted this production, interweaving Woodley’s poignant texts throughout. Led by conductor Lyn Williams, Marliya is an all-female ensemble of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait singers. The music is composed and arranged by Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill, and the choreography is by acclaimed First Nations artist Deborah Brown. Notable collaborations with artists like Emma Donovan, Briggs, and Peter Garrett further amplify Spinifex Gum’s impact, fostering dialogue on Indigenous rights and reconciliation.

Spinifex Gum confronts challenging political and environmental issues in contemporary Australia: social disparity in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, land rights, disproportionate incarceration and deaths in custody. Marliya sing in both English and First Nations languages, primarily Yindjibarndi, disarming and inspiring their audiences in a way that no individual voice can.