Lost Birds

A music review by Shirley Politzer

The cavernous halls of the long-disused White Bay Power Station in Rozelle, physically cold but still welcoming, became a concert hall on Saturday afternoon as Sydney Philharmonia Choirs presented their “Lost Birds” concert.

Led by Brett Weymark, the performance was their first in this amazing industrial space, its raw brick backdrop complementing a program that put together music, poetry, and reflections on humanity’s connection to nature.

The concert opened with “Tarimi Nulay” by Mathew Doyle and Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, the Sydney Philharmonia’s traditional Acknowledgement of Country. Sung beneath the huge walls of the old power station, its celebration of Indigenous culture and relationship to land felt very relevant.

The program mixed the familiar with the new. Marking the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, British composer Joanne Forbes L’Estrange offered her own version with “A Season to Sing”. Drawing on texts by Emily Bronte and the Bible, “Autumn” moved from the brightness of “Song of Harvest” to the melancholy of “Falling Autumn Leaves,” before returning to Vivaldi’s exuberance in “Make a Joyful Noise.” The performance was a most enjoyable start to the program.

Queensland-based composer Joseph Twist’s “Timeless Land” used texts by poets including Michael Leunig, Peter Skrzynecki, Les Murray and Oodgeroo Noonuccal. His music ranged from the playful “Magpie,” which had the audience laughing with its witty repetitions of the bird’s call, to “Lorikeets,” which captured the chaos of screeching flocks of birds. The devastating “Ashes” evoked the toll of bushfires, combining vocal solos with tense, percussive piano and strings to create a haunting image of the destruction of millions of animals. Other movements painted vivid soundscapes: the twisting and dissonant lines of “Wonga Vine,” the folk-like simplicity of “Andy’s Gone with Cattle,” and the searing final poem by Oodgeroo, “Time Is Running Out,” which confronted greed and environmental exploitation.

After the interval, the choir returned, rugged up in beanies and scarves, setting the scene for the chill of “A Season To Sing”: “Winter.” Its opening movement, “Winter Freeze,” contrasted sharply with the warmth of “Autumn,” complete with playful “jawwobble shivers” to evoke the bitter cold. The second movement, “Cosy Indoors,” was one of Forbes L’Estrange’s most charming touches. Here, the patter of rain outside a warm room was suggested by wordless scat singing—an affectionate nod to Ward Swingle and Forbes L’Estrange’s own time as music director and singer with the Swingle Singers.

Christopher Tin, best known for his award-winning film and video game scores, brought the same gift for lyrical melody to “The Lost Birds.” The opening instrumental, “Flocks A Mile Wide,” played with warmth and sensitivity by the Ensemble, drew such immediate enthusiasm that the audience applauded despite it being only the introduction. What followed was a succession of finely crafted melodies.

Tin sets texts by female poets, including Emily Dickinson and Sara Teasdale, weaving their words into music of great beauty. The poetry addresses environmental degradation, loss, and resilience in the face of climate change. Combined with Tin’s expressive choral writing, the 40-strong Chamber Singers produced rich tones, with crisp diction and superb acoustic balance, bringing each melody to life. The result was an entrancing and deeply moving work. Amid the sadness, the piece closes with Dickinson’s “Hope Is the Thing with Feathers,” leaving a glimmer of optimism. Particularly memorable were the upward glissandi and delicate piano textures in “A Hundred Thousand Birds,” enhanced by the violin’s birdlike effects.

Despite the occasional background noises around the hall, the five-piece instrumental Ensemble and the Chamber Singers delivered timeless poetry with gorgeous melodies dedicated to expressing both the beauty and sadness of nature. It was a wonderful and spellbinding afternoon.