Above: Carols at the Cathedral 2025- St Mary’s Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Australis were conducted by Director of Music Daniel Justin. Photos: (Above and featured): Keith Saunders.
Joy. Wonder. Humanity. Tradition. Innovation. Comfort. Clarity.
By the time Sydneysiders reach the end of a year we crave experiences and events that will supply us with all these. Sydney arts organisations, theatre groups, choirs, instrumental ensembles and orchestras have been presenting their final subscription, advertised and themed performances, fitting in with the buzz of Christmas.
St Mary’s Cathedral have just presented their yearly Carols At The Cathedral event, which offered us all of the seven gifts alluded to above. As a seasonal concert collaborating with Sinfonia Australis and guest Opera Australia star Diego Torre, that used many of the musical and other resources of this Sydney institution, in the stunning location with its gothic revival architecture, the two concerts held on the same day were experiences truly sans pareil in this late-advent city.
This special ‘carols-plus’ event took place on the eve of the outdoor markets and Vivid-esque lighting spectacular, Christmas At The Cathedral. It offered us fourteen musical numbers, three readings from scripture plus four readings sharing words from global Church figures.
These readings, interleaved with the diverse music programmed included Christmas sentiments from Pope Francis, from the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem – Cardinal Poizzaballa and from St John Henry Newman. A meditation from the Archbishop of Sydney, The Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP discussed warmly and with contemporary, accessible reference to concepts of humility, support, caring, gentleness plus zero tolerance for aggression and merciless violence targeting cultures, individuals or religious groups- a timely discussion and moment of pastoral care as Sydney tries to recover from this week’s pre-Christmas, early-Hanukkah terrorist acts.
Above: Guest Tenor soloist Diego Torre. Photo: Blueprint Studios.
I have attended Christmas concerts. various from musical and other arts groups, but the feeling of warmth, Christmas hope, the Christmas spirit and more than one round of goosebumps only hit me with force at this event. The atmosphere of this incomparable building was matched by a thrilling musical environments, constantly shifting in century of origin, influence, style, language and performer profile.
Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Daniel Justin, showed dynamic, precise leadership of the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir across the diverse musical items. The nature of disciplined training of school aged boys and girls in the choir ranks as choristers, probationers or scholars was in evidence here. Their efforts were augmented by the group of lay clerks, experienced, professional adult singers who complete the choir’s numbers. St Mary’s Cathedral Choir members’ clarity, versatility and a high level of musicianship were vibrantly showcased.
In a well-curated programme of mostly accompanied music, we heard carols in renewed light, such as O Little Town Of Bethlehem in a fresh, 2002 guise by Swiss composer Carl Rütti. There was medieval polyphony, agile and solid à la fois from the scholars, in the form of the Pérotine chant Viderunt Omnes (circa 1200 AD). Positioned midway along the awesome cathedral and in formal crimson choir robes, this a capella ensemble had considerable vocal and visual impact in the sacred space.
Special musical plus visual vistas of a robed choir and orchestra in a church setting continued with the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Australis at the altar end of the cathedral. More Carl Rütti choral setting entertained us- the relatively recent folk tune inspired song to traditional English text (My Dancing Day) saw this skilled choir dance and add a new feel to the sequence of praise and joy before us. Key modern cathedral music figure John Rutter was represented via his Shepherd’s Pipe Carol (1990), with exquisite, playful piping emanating from the Sinfonia Australis winds.
Rütti’s I Wonder As I Wander (1996) was a narrative moment that was lesson in poise and bristling stillness in the hands of this choir. The inimitable sound of treble voice in cathedral solo mode was supplied for the crowd in this concert’s version of Once In Royal David’s City. Part choir performance and part opportunity for congregational singing, this moment of community participation was one of several such times.
Above: Carols at the Cathedral 2025. Photo: Keith Saunders
We as audience or service participants were able to sing below the fine elaborations of the choir early on in this event in O come, O come, Emmanuel. We were able to revisit this gilded, heavenly collaborative texture when singing traditional favourites such as O Come, All Ye Faithful as well as Hark the Herald Angels Sing, which made for a gloriously layered, collaborative and full finish.
This event’s global and historical journey did not neglect Australian music. Seamless, evenly blended part singing delivered to us the cherished contours of William G James’ classic The Silver Stars (from the set titled Five Australian Christmas Carols, published 1948). Further international colour emerged from the inclusion of Christopher Tambling’s 2006 arrangement of The First Nowell, in which it is morphed into an intricate choir tapestry far removed from the familiar. The gentle expansiveness of line and lyric was expertly handled by the choir, endearing the difference to us instantly.
Familiar highlights must be noted with regards to three works presented. Firstly, instruments and choir advocated JS Bach’s excellence in a resounding version of ‘Jauchzet, Frohlocket’ from the opening of the Christmas Oratorio. Tempo choice was ideal for this cathedral space, the joyous text and management of instrumental filigree, which included spine-tingling period trumpets.
Also, a very special favourite, O Holy Night, sung from the pulpit by guest operatic tenor Diego Torre, was a provider of the aforementioned instant goosebumps. This performance in the cathedral setting, with Sinfonia Australis and the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir shone like a huge star on the city’s edge, eclipsing all those outdoor carols version from any year or the plethora of social media reels of the song which currently saturate our screens.
Torre’s star quality was later reprised in the same location with an equally moving version of Pilgrims of Hope by Francesco Meneghello (2023). This moment gifted us a stunning version of the music, selected as the official hymn for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.
And to begin this exhilarating event, an inclusion of Jewish music with Hebrew text. Our first experience of the choir was it singing the Enosh in four parts- music traditionally heard at Jewish funerals. The reverence and solidarity this created to begin proceedings in the cathedral setting was a moving moment.
Bookending this showcase of Cathedral industry, training, vocal excellence and routine of historically diverse, weekly music making were brackets of organ music played by Assistant Director of Music, Simon Nieminski. In brackets that included Messiaen, Charles Quef and Brenda Portman, our cathedral music experience and atmosphere was complete. Our entry and exit to this standout, different seasonal concert option was well-fanfared
The chance to experience music and words in this event’s richly nuanced fashion is still ringing in my ears, head and heart- all stops out.
