How did the Encores concerts come about?

We toured Europe every two years until COVID and always seemed to end up singing more encores over there than we do at home. We take a ‘Friends’ group with us on these tours, so when we sing the same program a few times, we want to be sure to unpack fresh encores for the Friends. The idea of an Encores program came out of conversations with people in this group. We have a ‘Friendly’ choir, where the two groups get together and sing just for fun, and we have meals together, so this is a great way for us to get to know our audience. We presented our first Encores concert after our European tour of 2024, and this will be our second. (The next European tour is planned for September 2027.)

Elizabeth Anderson in Venice during the Australian Chamber Choir’s 2024 European tour. Image from the documentary Agatha’s Story

How did you select the repertoire for your 2026 Encores concert?

The program includes encores performed on our 2024 tour and also on earlier tours. Interestingly, the music that...