“I have read with great interest the libretto and the score of “The Redfern Oratorio” and find it very important that it should be performed in Sydney and other Australian cities”
DANIEL BARENBOIM
On Sunday 13 November 2022, the first performance of “The Redfern Oratorio” (commissioned by Dr. Robyn Williams AO) took place in the Sydney Town Hall. The music is set to a libretto by Pamela Traynor, inspired by Paul Keating’s iconic 1992 Redfern Speech which was delivered 30 years ago and represents a significant turning point in our movement towards a reconciliation with Indigenous Australians and a truthful acceptance and understanding of our history since colonisation.
Programmed with the “Ode to Joy” by Ludwig van Beethoven the longing for freedom, equality and justice for all resonates in both works and invites a new imagining of our world.
Sydney University Graduate Choir & Orchestra
directed by Christopher Bowen
Amy Moore - soprano
Ashlyn Tymms - mezzo soprano
Nicholas Jones - tenor
Adrian Tamburini - bass