Joseph Nolan plans to welcome the Queen of Sheba amongst a programme ranging from Bach to Britten.

Perth Cathedral has launched its Concert Series 2017 with a combination of West Australian premieres and impressive soloists – plus of course the St. George’s Cathedral Consort and Choir. Music Director and internationally acclaimed organist Joseph Nolan spoke to Limelight about the thought behind his engaging and eclectic season, which kicks off with a double bill of Fauré’s Requiem and Walton’s Auden-inspired The Twelve on May 5.

“I only have one agenda, which is to ensure we pack each concert out,” says Nolan. “It is an irrefutable fact that Perth audiences love the old masters and my aim is to perform them to the highest international standards, find something new in them musically and to programme them in innovative ways.”

Nolan’s ‘blockbuster’ of sorts will be the WA premiere of Handel’s oratorio Solomon, a grand choral extravaganza that, in addition to the ubiquitous Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, features an array of musical numbers to rival Messiah. “Solomon seems an obvious choice to me as whilst I adore Handel’s Messiah, Perth often...