On the edge of the harbour, where the city meets the water, beneath the verdant garden of Barangaroo, there lies a vast concrete bunker, lit by a open slot the length of the ceiling, which illuminates the great scarred sandstone along the north side of the building. It reminds me of the lair of a James Bond villain: I half expect to see an airlock, a space rocket or a sinister army of gun-toting operatives. But no. Tonight it is all yoga mats and shadows. Tonight Sydney Festival is using the extraordinary acoustic power of this space for good, filling the Barangaroo Cutaway with the voices of the Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers.

Night of the Soul, Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers. Photo © Daniel Boud

Night of the Soul is inspired by two works from Norwegian choral composer Ola Gjeilo: Dark Night of the Soul and Luminous Night of the Soul. They become the framing device for a musical journey from darkness to light with, at its centre, the haunting Agnus Dei, the sung version of Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

The Cutaway turns out to be an ideal space...