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THE ARTS
THE SHOW MUST GO ON St Peters Chorale performs John Rutter’s Gloria despite the pandemic.
CHRISTINE TAYLOR CO-DIREC TOR OF COCURRICUL AR MUSIC AND HEAD OF CHOIRS
J
ohn Rutter is a highly successful and widely admired contemporary English choral composer and conductor. His extended, seventeen-minute Gloria, composed for choir, brass ensemble, percussion and pipe organ, is one of Rutter’s most ambitious works. Using text from the Gloria of the Latin Mass, it was composed in three movements which Rutter describes as respectively, 'exalted, devotional and jubilant.'
"The Chorale came together for the first time to sing this work on Tuesday 14 July – 12 weeks after they started learning it via Zoom. They had just four short weeks to put together a performance of the Gloria with the added challenge of being socially distanced from the next singer. The Conservatorium Brass could no longer take part in the performance due to their own COVID-19 restrictions and so a professional Brass and Percussion Ensemble was assembled.
St Peters Chorale performance of Rutter’s Gloria was originally planned to be a "As their Director, I am very proud of what collaborative project with the Queensland these students achieved during the period Conservatorium Brass Ensemble. In March of online learning. They persisted in self2020, however, like many educational preparation despite the significant challenges. institutions, St Peters and the Conservatorium Working via Zoom without the context of the entered At Home Learning due to the other parts around you, and when you are COVID-19 pandemic. Chorale continued to not used to solo work, is an added element of rehearse using Zoom with students joining in complication. Add in the missed social aspect from many locations including the Northern of the choir and what that means to the Territory, Cairns and China. students and it would have been very easy for them to lose heart. They persisted and have Kathryn Morton, Director of St Peters created a recording project of which they Chorale, describes the rehearsal process: should be proud. History will attest that this "Rehearsing on Zoom is not easy – students is a very significant achievement in difficult hear a passage, then sing it themselves circumstances." while muted. Staff are not able to assist St Peters Chorale’s socially distanced with immediate feedback, nor can students performance of the Rutter Gloria is available hear other singers, they must be entirely on YouTube and Facebook. self-reliant. On two occasions in the learning cycle, students submitted videos and feedback was given remotely.
Plus Ultra | November 2020
