Following the remarkable success of last year’s Messiah, which drew more than 200 people to St Anne’s Catholic Church in Bondi, the parish’s music ministry is returning with what promises to be an even more compelling and uplifting event: Gloria.
The choir has grown to more than 40 singers – double its previous size – bringing new richness and depth to the sound.
Led by Michael Murphy, director of music at the Catholic Parishes of Bondi, Gloria is a major collaboration between several of Sydney’s leading ensembles, including Artes Christi, The Solis Ensemble, Quart-Ed and Coro Austral.
Members of Quart-Ed will join the Artes Christi Chamber Orchestra to accompany the choir, creating a unified instrumental ensemble of outstanding calibre.
Together, these groups represent some of Sydney’s finest musicians, brought together for a shared artistic and sacred purpose.
The program offers a profound journey through nearly six centuries of sacred music, tracing a path through praise, penitence, light and transcendence.
Beginning in the stillness of plainchant, the concert unfolds through the intricate beauty of Renaissance polyphony, the expressive depth of the Baroque era and the luminous world of contemporary sacred composition.
Works by William Byrd, James MacMillan, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ola Gjeilo and Australian composer Joe Twist – known to many for his work on the ABC children’s series Bluey – provide moments of reflection, lament and hope.
The program is framed by settings of the Gloria, one of the church’s great hymns of praise.
From its austere beginnings in chant to the radiant brilliance of Antonio Vivaldi’s beloved Gloria, audiences will be invited into a deeply contemplative and ultimately joyful musical experience.
Among the highlights are Byrd’s Ne irascaris Domine, MacMillan’s Miserere and the serene, transcendent textures of Gjeilo’s sacred works.
The concert culminates in Vivaldi’s Gloria, whose energy and exuberance provide a fitting and triumphant conclusion.
Beyond the concert platform, the music ministry of the Catholic Parish of Bondi has become a visible and active presence in the wider community.
Following the tragic events at Bondi in 2024, members of the parish music community came together within 24 hours to form an impromptu choir, offering music at Bondi Pavilion as a gesture of solidarity and support.
That moment, marked by generosity and faith, demonstrated the power of sacred music to bring unity and healing in times of sorrow.
That same spirit underpins Gloria. More than a concert, it is an invitation to pause, reflect and be uplifted through music that has sought for centuries to give voice to the divine.
Gloria will be held at 7pm on 17 July 2026 at St Anne’s Catholic Church, Bondi.
Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/DMGXK
