A lot can be said (and has already been written) about the joy of singing – the way it awakens you, giving you the opportunity to discover more about yourself through the exploration of the instrument that lives inside you, how invigorating it is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with others and make music without the need for physical instruments. We humans have been singing forever, and the great need for choirs – professional, community, church, independent, children’s – is not to be taken for granted. During Melbourne’s expansive lockdowns, when it was impossible to get together and raise our voices, we were reminded of this fact: singing alone in the shower or around the house pales in comparison to the joy and relative anonymity of singing alongside friends and strangers, united in a common musical cause.

Astra

Astra choir. Photo supplied

Known across Australia for its boundary-pushing performances of new chorale works and its bold forays into text-based ensemble pieces, Astra was ambitious in building an extensive concert program around two new works by acclaimed Australian composer George Dreyfus, with further focus on political choral works by the likes of Hanns Eisler,...