This June, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs will present its annual 'big sing', ChorusOz. . . Featuring the spectacular Verdi's grand opera 'Aida'.
The 2025 edition, a performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'A Sea Symphony', saw more than 900 choristers join forces. This year, ChorusOz returns bigger and better than ever, presenting concert highlights from Verdi's 'Aida’.
Renowned Australian conductor Brett Weymark OAM leads a chorus of passionate music-makers from every state and territory across Australia. . . Four world-class soloists, and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra.
We learn more from Brett.
First of all… What is ChorusOz?
ChorusOz is our biggest annual event in the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs calendar, where choristers from all around the country and indeed the world come together at the Sydney Opera House to explore a great work. This year it’s Verdi’s opera 'Aida', and on just two days of rehearsal, perform to a packed house with a professional orchestra and soloists.
Where did this idea come from originally?
Originally, it came from my experiences at school, where students from all over NSW would come together to sing a work like Handel’s 'Zadok The Priest' or Mozart’s 'Requiem' in what was then called the Combined Secondary Schools Choral Concert. It was a lightbulb moment for me: I discovered these great pieces of music, decided to make music my profession, was overwhelmed by the experience of not only performing in the Sydney Opera House but also the power of the orchestra and the role of the conductor. I decided then and there that I wanted to be the one waving the stick. So when I became SPC’s Musical Director back in the dark ages, I wanted to recreate this moment for everyone, regardless of age, ability, or location.
What’s one main thing you’ve learned from presenting the event over the years?
That it always feels like climbing Everest when you are preparing and learning the score, but when you get there on the day, the energy of nearly a thousand singers who have all worked so hard on their individual parts and bring so much love to what they do, it always ends up being the highlight of my musical year.
What is it about music that brings people together?
Music requires you to stop and listen. It is not a passive act. When people experience that live in a concert hall, the effect is palpable. We have all experienced something wonderful, and we have experienced it together. In an age of loneliness and disconnection, music is the antidote.
Why is it such a special event?
It is a truly world choir. We meet people from all across the globe. And regardless of where they are from, from the first note of the piece, that is irrelevant. We are all just a bunch of people who love to sing and have come together to share that passion with each other. People make new friends for life. I often say to people, if you are in a new country and you know nobody, join a choir. You will find your clan!
How are you hoping audiences respond to ChorusOz?
I defy anyone to come to an event like ChorusOz with close to a thousand people on stage and not be blown away by the sheer force of the sound emanating from the stage. It is simply overwhelming.
'ChorusOz: Aida' is on at Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on 7 June. If you would like to sing in ChorusOz, find out more and register at their website before Monday 25 May.
