“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to everything.” Plato, The Republic, 375BC
Throughout history, music has absorbed, dazzled and entertained us. We swoon at its beauty, laugh at its humour and dance to its rhythms. It can also reflect darker emotions of grief and rage.
Such creativity is informed by cultural identity, dramatic events, stories and emotion. Captivated by music’s expressive possibilities, 17th and 18th century composers experimented with new musical styles and techniques. However, they quickly found their creative freedom curtailed by Royalty and Religion that often valued permission over passion.
Join us in 2026 as we explore this dichotomy and the ways in which power, passion and politics stimulated or silenced the profoundly beautiful music of the baroque period. The concerts run for approx. 75 mins with no interval.
CONCERT 1
Concord of Sweet Sounds
The man that hath no music in himself, / Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, / Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; / The motions of his spirit are dull as night, / And his affections dark as Erebus. / Let no such man be trusted. William Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice (c1596)
Shakespeare captures the magical and theatrical elements of melody, with music complementing prose in many of his plays. Our concert journeys through the Baroque period to discover the power, passion and pathos of music, building on the Bard’s inspiration that we should be “moved with concord of sweet sounds”.
Click here to find out more on the performers and the program.
Canberra Tickets: Friday 30 January, 7.30pm Wesley Church, Forrest
Sydney Concert SOLD OUT (please note the new venue): Sunday 1 February, 3.00pm Barnet Long Room, Customs House
CONCERT 2
Invitation to the Dance
“Music and dance are all you need.” Molière: Le bourgeois gentilhomme (1670)
Dance and diplomacy were inseparable at Louis XIV’s opulent palace in Versailles. Every aspect of the palace was designed to reinforce the King’s absolute authority, and Louis protected his political power through pageantry. In appointing the Italian-born musician, composer and dancer Jean-Baptiste Lully as Master of the King’s Music, Louis chose a political manipulator whose ruthlessness matched his own. Their control over music, dance and opera was enforced by complex social etiquette, with failure to conform being devastating to ambition – ensuring that the arts had the single purpose of glorifying the King and France.
Click here to find out more on the performers and the program.
Canberra: Friday, 24 April, 7.30pm Wesley Church, Forrest
Sydney: Sunday 26 April, 3.00pm Verbrugghen Hall, Conservatorium of Music
CONCERT 3
Bohemian Rhapsody
“If the Bohemians had the advantages enjoyed by the Italians they would surpass them. They are perhaps the most musical race in all Europe”. Charles Burney (1773)
The celebrations for the crowning of Charles VI as King of Bohemia in Prague in 1723 included an opera performance by 200 musicians and 100 voices. “History does not furnish a more glorious event for music”, Burney boldly asserted. Despite lacking the wealth of neighbouring countries, Bohemia benefited from generous patrons who capitalised on the region’s excellent education system in which music was a core subject, resulting in an exceptionally musically cultured society where creativity flourished.
Click here to find out more about the program and the performers.
Canberra: Friday, 12 June, 7.30pm, Wesley Church, Forrest
Sydney: Sunday 14 June, 3.00pm Verbrugghen Hall, Conservatorium of Music
CONCERT 4
Charms in Musick
“If there are Charms in Musick in general, all the reasonable World agrees, that the Vocal has the Pre-eminence, both from Nature and Art above the Instrumental.” JE Galliard (1743)
Ancient Greek theatre inspired a gathering of musicians, poets and intellectuals in Florence in the late 16th century to create the dramatic new musical form of Opera, incorporating music, poetry, theatre and visual arts. It was both a culmination of composition for voice over centuries and a starting point for what evolved during the baroque period and beyond of exceptional compositions showcasing the magnificence of the voice, affirming Aristotle’s (c350 BC) belief in the voice being an instrument with a soul.
Click here to find out more about the Performers and the Program.
Canberra: Friday, 13 November, 7.30pm Wesley Church, Forrest
Sydney: Sunday 15 November, 3.00pm Verbrugghen Hall, Conservatorium of Music