Mozart Requiem and Sunrise Mass

Oriana Choir will present Mozart’s Requiem and Ola Gjeigo's Sunrise Mass on May 15 at The Events Centre Caloundra and May 16 at St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane City. Conducted by internationally acclaimed choral and orchestral director, Andrew Wailes, the choir will be joined by Sinfonia of St Andrew’s and soloists Elisabeth Wallis Gaedtke, Soprano, Anne Fulton, Alto, Philip Prendergast, Tenor, and Shaun Brown, Bass. The combined program is a reflection of current times with the Sunrise Mass depicting hope, peace and light in a dawning world and the Requiem, one of the most intimate, fervent and profound of Mozart's works, mourning for all that has been lost.

The Mozart Requiem was the grand master's final composition. Left incomplete at Mozart’s death, the Requiem has always been surrounded by mystery and intrigue sparking numerous romantic exaggerations. A lucrative commission by an anonymous stranger - portrayed as a herald of the composer's own premature death - led to many tales and stories in the nineteenth century and became the basis for dramatic works on Mozart's life in the twentieth century. While the reality is somewhat more prosaic, the Requiem itself remains one of the most intimate, fervent and profound of Mozart's works.

Ola Gjeilo’s exquisite Sunrise Mass is an evocative and captivating modern mass paints a series of emotional landscapes, combining voice and strings to create a sublime musical experience. Listeners are taken on a journey from the starry heavens to the darkest emotions of human existence.