Gondwana Voices

Caltex 'The Red Tree' Tour: Children's Choir

Established by Artistic Director Lyn Williams in 1997, Gondwana Voices is made up of young singers aged 10-16 from every state and territory in Australia. Gondwana Voices allows the most talented young singers from across Australia an opportunity to develop their musical potential and perform choral music at the highest level. Each year in January, Gondwana Voices choristers gather for a two-week intensive rehearsal season known as National Choral School. They meet again during the year for special performances and tours.

In 2007 Gondwana Voices celebrated its 10th Anniversary. In January, the choir presented a concert at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, in February they performed Britten’s War Requiem with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and the Australian Youth Orchestra under conductor Paul Kildea and in June/July they toured to Festival 500 in Newfoundland, Canada, an international choral festival in Normandy, France and to the UK to give the European premiere of Brett Dean’s Vexations and Devotions with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under David Robertson at the BBC Proms.

2006 was a busy year for Gondwana Voices. Following National Choral School in January, Gondwana Voices gave the world premiere performances Brett Dean’s Vexations and Devotions with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under Matthias Bamert as part of the UWA Perth International Arts Festival. In March Gondwana Voices performed in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

In 2005 Gondwana Voices performed with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and TaikOz, Australia’s acclaimed Taiko drumming ensemble, and with the Sydney Symphony. In 2004, the choir performed at the Festival of Sydney with the Sydney Symphony and Cantillation, travelled to Mexico for performances at América Cantat IV – a festival of South and Central American choirs, and represented Asia and Oceania at Polyfollia 2004 – a festival gathering the world’s best choral and vocal ensembles held in Normandy, France. Other international tours have included the United States in 2003, and performances at the 5th World Symposium of Choral Music in Rotterdam in 1999. In 2002 the choir performed from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a New Year’s Day 2003 broadcast by ABC America and the European television networks. In July 2001, Gondwana Voices toured and performed Parables, Lullabies and Secrets with Michael Leunig, Neil Finn and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Gondwana Voices has a strong commitment to Australian choral music. In addition to commissioning new choral works from Australian composers each year, in 2005 they launched the Gondwana Voices Young Composers Award. Gondwana Voices has recorded three CDs, Dreamings, Light New Hope for ABC Classics as well as Voices of Gondwana.