The Sydney Chamber Choir’s Easter program features Fauré’s Requiem preceded by a swag of unaccompanied music by JS Bach, Healey Willan, Brooke Shelley, Felix Mendelssohn and Nigel Butterley.

Conducted by Artistic Director Sam Allchurch, the choir is joined by soprano Angela Brun, baritone Andrew O’Connor and choral alumni in this varied program which features plainchant in its many forms. Thomas Wilson plays the magnificent new Dobson organ unveiled just last year in the pure acoustic of St James’.

Sam Allchurch, Sydney Chamber Choir and alumni, St James’s, Sydney. Photo © Chalice Paiva

Bach’s motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225, is an apt, if challenging curtain raiser. Bach treats the voice like a stringed instrument with long-bowed phrases driving the momentum and buoyant lightly twirling ornaments carrying the melody. A sub-group of the choir performs just Part One of this motet for double-choir.

Homage duly paid to Bach, the current choir gather for three liturgical motets by Healey Willan, a 20th century British-Canadian composer influenced by 19th century styles. Popular with chamber choirs in the UK and US, he is barely known in the Antipodes. The three motets selected, Fair...