The closing concert of the 2018 Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, an all Heinrich Biber program, was extraordinary in its grandeur, uniqueness and its execution. The “Missa Salisburgensis”, followed by his “Plaudite tympana”, gave the Ballarat audience a rare experience of some of the greatest sacred music of the mid-Baroque period.
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Director Gary Ekkel brought together an army of singers, including the Newman College and Queen’s College Choirs, and musicians, a logistical challenge in itself. He then led a performance which featured a fine balance between the singers and instrumentalists and perfect rhythmic control. The soloists and combined choirs were faultless in creating the desirable texture of sound and the uplifting spiritual character of the text.
The large orchestra, playing on period instruments, was made up of many of the early music specialists from Melbourne. The balance and intonation were precise when performing the choral works and the “Sonata 111 a Sei” for the smaller instrumental ensemble. The technical security and rhythmic energy contributed to the lyricism and elegance of the performance. Each year this Festival creates its own culture. This year it will be remembered for the high proportion of the programs which were of the highest quality. The closing concert was a true Grand Finale.
This year the festival will be remembered for the high proportion of the programs which were of the highest quality.
