Vaughan Williams at his earthiest, and masterpieces by Bach, Elgar and Mendelssohn are on the bill for 2017.

Australia’s oldest singing group, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, will explore joy and connectivity in their 2017 season with a programme that spans the ages. The new season was announced this week at a reception hosted by Mrs Linda Hurley, wife of New South Wales Governor, David Hurley, SPC’s esteemed Patron.

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The season opens with Bach’s St Matthew Passion, a perennial favourite to be performed on Easter Saturday. Considered one of the greatest examples of Western sacred music, Bach presents the final days of Christ’s life scored to music both intimate and operatic. Conductor Brett Weymark leads a distinguished cast of principal singers that include Robert Macfarlane as the Evangelist, Christopher Richardson as Christus, soprano Celeste Lazarenko, mezzo Sally-Anne Russell, tenor Jonathan Abernethy and baritone David Greco.

Next on the agenda is Rossini’s Stabat Mater, another work popular with connoisseurs and audiences alike. A complex and unusual piece, it requires a quartet of accomplished singers supported by a strong choir. The Stabat...