Spirit of Christmas

The magic of the power of music once again attracted an almost full house to all performances of this annual QPAC event, this year with the diffusion of traditional Christian European celebration with First Nation Peoples of Australia and our neighbours from New Zealand and the Pacific region, creating a colourful and varied combination of well-known Christmas songs and original styles and arrangements.

The concert was accompanied by the Queensland Youth Orchestra with renowned Musical Director and Conductor Simon Kenway at the helm and also included the QPAC Chamber Choir and the youthful Brisbane based-choir 'Voices of Birralee'. Solo artists and comperes were the captivating and charismatic Stephanie Jones, well-known for her role as 'Mary Poppins', tenor-magnifique Daniel Belle, Marcus Corowa, also an Aboriginal and South Sea Islander mentor for the arts, Queensland musical theatre graduate Sophie Montague while the Acknowledgement of Country artist, and who began the concert, went to musician Waveney Yasso. There was also a Christmas message/sermon by Major Scott Allen from the Salvation Army later in the program.

Following the orchestra's overture, the solo artists introduced the concert with a rousing rendition of 'We Need a Little Christmas' (emphasizing the current state of the world) with the next two items, 'Prince of Peace' and 'Heavenly Teardrops', being performed by a group of artists of Aboriginal, Melanesian and Polynesian descent, befittingly called the Sounds of AustraNesia. Based in Cairns and with original music and arrangements by composer/performer Rubina Kimiia, who is also the visionary behind the group, this was indeed one of the highlights of the evening interweaving traditional western Christmas themes with Pacific Island influences, even instrumentally together with the orchestral accompaniment, and with the addition of soul-searching masterful vocals and harmonies to match.

The concert continued with a choice and fitting combination of traditional well-arranged and orchestrated Christmas carols and songs, even a touch of solo comedy and originality from Marcus Corowa. There was also a good ol' Aussie-themed and jazzy version of 'Twelve Days of Christmas' by the Biralee Choir, a terrific performance of the orchestral classic 'Sleigh Ride', a moving vocal arrangement and performance of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas' from the QPAC Chamber Choir and some mesmerizing notes from Daniel Belle in his admirable performance of 'O Holy Night', all capturing the soul and essence of the traditional Christmas message.

Merit must also go to the team responsible for the presentation of the concert: Stage Designer Bill Haycock, Lighting Designer Ben Hughes, Sound Engineer Geoff McGahn, also the team responsible for the superb camera work for the streaming version of the concert as presented on QPAC's Digital Stage platform, all contributing to a thoughtful and diverse program with enough to satisfy all and sundry wishing to capture a 'Spirit of Christmas'.

Brian Adamson

Photographer:  Darren Thomas