Coro Austral presents 'Musica Gloriosa'

Sydney’s specialist Spanish and Latin American a cappella choir, Coro Austral is back! 

Artistic Director Margot McLaughlin, has crafted a concert of glorious music in celebration of its 10th anniversary, reflecting the choir’s past, present and future.  

Audiences will be treated to beautiful sacred and secular choral works sung in the stunning acoustic of St Joseph’s Church, Rozelle.

The program features Missa O Quam Gloriosum by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Spain’s most famous composer of the 16th Century, as well as exquisite sacred works by Italian composer Giovanni da Palestrina (Sicut Cervus) and Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (Christus Factus Est and Locus Iste). The renowned contemporary Catalan composer Bernat Vivancos is represented by masterful settings of the Easter text O Vos Omnes (O Ye People) and the popular Catalan Christmas folksong El cant dels ocells (Song of the Birds), arranged for female voices.

In total contrast, the secular works showcase the diversity of music from Latin America, including Siete Haikus (Seven Haikus) by Mexican composer Jorge Córdoba, based on texts by various Japanese poets, the ever-popular Mas Que Nada, made famous by Sergio Mendez in Brazil 66, and contemporary and traditional songs from Cuba.

Under the direction of founding conductor, the experienced and versatile Margot McLaughlin, Coro Austral is an auditioned chamber choir which primarily performs 13th to 21st century music from Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. These include Renaissance Spain and Portugal, Mexican Baroque, Brazilian classical, and contemporary folkloric songs from Chile, Argentina and the Caribbean - as well as a range of works from Australia and elsewhere. Formed in 2010, it has introduced often previously little-known choral music to Australian audiences. In 2017 Coro Austral toured Cuba to great acclaim!