The six extraordinary vocalists who are the Leipzig-based ensemble Sjaella are clearly fascinated, amused and inspired by Australian birdsong during their 2023 tour, and their mimicry and interpretation of this familiar (for the audience) aural backdrop is astonishing.  But the journey isn’t just for the birds, and spans a breadth of different scenes, moods and styles. 

In curation and execution, this tour’s program engages, educates, amuses and maybe even shocks. Combined with top-notch vocal mastery and serene, confident audience engagement, this concert is a triumph.

Sjaella. Photo supplied

One thing that stands out with how these women inhabit the stage is that they are confident in creating space and unafraid of silences. An unhurried preparation, in mind as well as spirit, precedes each song, establishing a very natural progression through the program. 

Dressed simply in loose flowing combinations of black and white, they move silently across the stage and change position in relation to one other as if in a choreography; and yet it isn’t. Brief introductions to individual songs and brackets, shared among the singers, provide context and mood shifts in a way that is almost...