Aurora from Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ VOX, conducted by Music Director Elizabeth Scott and accompanied by pianist Luke Byrne, complemented by choristers on percussion, presents music of contemporary Australian composers with works by their Northern European counterparts. Words and music from the two hemispheres align, inspired by the dawn, mythology, astral spaces, desert landscapes and the forces of nature.

The pieces are a creative mix of modern styles. Minimalist cluster chords underlie shifting harmonies as melodies and harmonies converge and diverge in music embodying the aesthetics of the 20th and 21st centuries, with their themes of newly explored frontiers and ancient lands.

The performance space with its high ceilings and panels of distressed wood is well suited to this 70-strong choir, allowing plenty of space for the youthful, light tones to swirl, blend and expand. Scott’s direction is precise and understated. She keeps the sound buoyant, always moving forward.

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs: Aurora. Photo © Simon Crossley-Meates

The program of nine pieces follows the Acknowledgement of Country, Tarimi Nulay – Long time living here. It includes four works commissioned by the organisation. Two of these, James Henry’s Fire in the Night Sky and Nicholas...