RIVERSONG

The Resonants choir

Helen Swan, conductor

Gandel Atrium National Museum of Australia May 17

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

The fate of rivers and the fate of people are inseparable. In a tribute to the spirit and strength of our rivers, Canberra choir, The Resonants, performed a program of songs that captured the story of our rivers.

Organised by the Australian River Restoration Centre, a charity restoring rivers and empowering others to do the same, this was a fund-raising concert for the long-term future of our rivers.

The Resonants choir, an independent, non-profit ensemble of young professionals and university students, was formed in 1990 by music director, Helen Swan. They have been crowned ABC Choir of the Year, recorded four CDs, participated in multiple Australian National Eisteddfods and the Canberra International Music Festival. Conductor, Helen Swan, is a well-known Canberra choral conductor, musician, music educator and opera singer.

Resonants choir

Introduced by award-winning ABC journalist, Alex Sloan, the evening commenced with a Welcome to Country by Aunty Violet Sheridan, a Ngunnawal Elder. She gave a passionate, sincere and down-to-earth welcome that was especially meaningful for the occasion.

The first act of the concert, sub-titled The Spirit Of The River, commenced with the choir singing The Spheres by Norwegian composer, Ola Gjelio. This haunting work evoked a sense of timelessness. The cavernous Gandel Atrium, with its resonant acoustic, was the perfect place to hear it.

Helen Swan, conductor

Six other works were presented in the first act including a dramatic This Is Our Home by Paul Stanhope, The River by Coco Love Alcorn in a beautiful arrangement by Rachel Hore, and a memorable arrangement by Ruth Kilpatrick of Waltzing Matilda which took the familiar melody and added rich harmonies with an Aboriginal-inspired chant.

The second act of the concert, subtitled Renewal and Resilience, commenced with the premiere of The Whisper of the Dying Stream, a new work by Sydney-based composer, Sophie Van Dijk. It was conducted by Kylie Van Dijk. It was a sombre, melodious and appealing work that was given a fine performance by the choir.

Other works presented included Weathermakers, composed in 2016 by Kirsten Duncan, a member of The Resonants choir, Hope There Is, a sublime setting by Clare MacLean of Oodgeroo Nunuccal’s poem, Hope, a haunting arrangement by James Erb of the American folk song, Shenandoah, and Steve Zegree’s arrangement of Henry Mancini’s Moon River. The concert concluded with Andy Beck’s Riversong.

This impressively skilful choir sang mostly a capella and were accompanied on various songs by pianist, Emily Luong, Ben O’Loughlin, double bass and Tom Chalker, percussionist.

The video projections that accompanied each song were particularly well-chosen and the atrium was illuminated with changing light patterns that added to the atmosphere of this fine concert given in aid of a worthy cause.

 

Photos by Dalice Trost

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 18 May 2025.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.