![DSC_7941[1]](https://glamadelaide.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/DSC_79411-300x198.jpg)
All South Australians will be blessed by a group of rising stars when the Fieri Consort lands in Adelaide to begin their debut international tour as guests of the St Peter’s Cathedral Music Foundation in August.
The St Peter’s Cathedral Music Foundation is at the forefront of supporting excellence in choral music not only in South Australia but also nationally and internationally. As a testament to the Foundation’s international standing and commitment to furthering the musical experiences and education of South Australians, the Music Foundation are hosting the Fieri Consort on their first international tour here in Adelaide.
Founded in 2012, the Fieri Consort is made up of eight extremely talented young ensemble singers based in London. The singers met studying on The Sixteen’s prestigious young artists program, Genesis Sixteen and after finishing their training, established the Fieri Consort. Members of the consort sing with many other groups, including The Sixteen, Britten Sinfonia Voices, Tenebrae and many London churches.
The Consort has been praised for their vitality and artistry, two of the many characteristics that make it easy for modern audiences to enjoy their magnificent voices. “We try not to be too formal, or take ourselves too seriously in performance,” Fieri member Rose Martin says.“We are sharing what we do with the audience and that’s a two way conversation.”
Fieri is a non-conducted ensemble, often with one or two voices to a part. This makes for invigorating performances where each and every singer is vital and where they all play an equal role in musical interpretation. The Fieri Consort’s visit to Adelaide is a rare opportunity for South Australians to take inspiration, and learn from such a high caliber consort and it is expected that many locals will embrace the magnificent music on offer.
Their visit to Adelaide will also be a precious opportunity for the St Peter’s Cathedral choir to learn from the group’s elite musical education.
A highlight of the tour for young South Australian students and singers will be a School Concert when the Consort will share their knowledge and training with invited students from all over Adelaide. St Peter’s Cathedral Precentor and member of the Music Foundation, The Rev’d Jenny Wilson, is thrilled that the Fieri Consort will be sharing their knowledge with Adelaide school students. “The Fieri Consort are passing on their knowledge and hopefully we will be able to then continue the education process,” Jenny says. “This is the way education should work in the true sense.”
While it’s undoubtedly a huge opportunity for Adelaide’s choral music community to be exposed to such high-quality international talent, the excitement goes both ways. “It’s equally delightful to all the members of the Fieri Consort,” the Director of Music at St Peter’s Cathedral Music Foundation, Leonie Hempton, says. “You might think we’re very much on the receiving end, but they are delighted to be spending time with us because it’s a great opportunity for them to tour.”
It was a performance in London’s landmark church St Martin-in-the-Fields that first inspired Jenny Wilson to bring the Fieri Consort to Australia. “I saw them and spent the entire concert thinking ‘wouldn’t it be fantastic to bring them out to share their music with our musical community,’” Jenny says. “The Music Foundation was wonderfully supportive and we decided to bring these positive, young and highly talented people to Australia so they could be part of our community. “Everyone loved the idea and the plans have blossomed since then. “They’ll live in our community for a week. They’ll sing the Sunday services and there will be some social events. “They will be a choir in residence, really – just to have that inspiring presence I think will be a very positive thing,” Jenny says.
The Fieri Consort is also looking forward to being immersed in the sound of the St Peter’s Cathedral mix gender choir – something that is still relatively uncommon in the UK.
All South Australians will have the opportunity to experience the energy and brilliance of the Fieri Consort in full swing during a performance at the iconic St Peter’s Cathedral on the 15th of August. “We have some excellent music lined up for the tour, wrapped up in interesting and varied programs of both early and contemporary music,” Fieri member David Maguire says. “We like to make bold musical decisions, taking risks is all part of the fun.”
Music Foundation Musical Director, Leonie Hempton, says experiencing the Fieri Consort perform will be enormously inspiring for everyone involved. “One of the things I try to explain to our choir is the business of singing music from the heart, not just singing the notes on the page but making it live, and I think everyone will be able to see the Fieri Consort really make the music live.”
The Fieri Consort in Concert will be held on Friday 15th of August at 7.30pm at St Peter’s Cathedral. Tickets for the event can be purchased through bass.net.au
Further information can be found at www.stpeters-cathedral.org.au/music/music-foundation and fiericonsort.co.uk
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