Sydney University Musical Society
The Sydney University Musical Society (SUMS) is an undergraduate choral society at the University of Sydney.[1] Founded in 1878,[1] it is one of the oldest secular choirs in Australia, and the oldest Australian University Choir.[2]
Abbreviation | SUMS |
---|---|
Formation | 1878 |
Type | University Choir |
Location |
|
Region | Sydney, Australia |
Current Conductor | Michael Bradshaw |
Current President | Jules Hobkirk |
Website | sumschoir |
SUMS has performed many great works over its lifetime, including the Australian premiere performances Bach's Mass in B minor and St Matthew Passion in 1880; premiére performances of Martin and Peter Wesley Smith's Songs of Australia for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, the world premiére of Nicholas Routley's Mycenae Lookout in 1998, and world premiére of Anne Boyd's carol, A Lullaby of the Nativity, written for SUMS in 2003. The Musical Society has performed with orchestras such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Youth Orchestra and the SBS Youth Orchestra. SUMS' conductor of 23 years, Ben Macpherson, retired from his post of musical director in mid-2006, with his final performance with the society being Mendelssohn's Elijah, performed in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney.
In 2015, SUMS also hosted the 66th Annual Intervarsity Festival, delivering an astounding performance of Verdi's Messa da Requiem. Outside of rehearsals and performances, SUMS regularly hosts events for its members as well, including picnics, trivia nights at the pub, camps, and the annual Academic Dinner.[2]
Recent SUMS Performances
Year | Program |
---|---|
2010 | Mozart's Great Mass in C minor |
Fauré's Requiem | |
2011 | Duruflé's Requiem |
2012 | Verdi's Requiem ∞ |
2013 | J.S. Bach's Magnificat in D major |
Vivaldi's Gloria | |
2014 | Vivaldi's Magnificat |
Karl Jenkins' Stella Natalis | |
2015 | Mendelssohn's Elijah † |
Vaughan Williams' Mass in G minor | |
2016 | Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 the Resurrection Symphony[2] |
2017 | Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38 ∞[3] |
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 †[4] | |
2018 | Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky cantata ∞[5] |
Paul Stanhope's The Land is Healed. Ban.garay![6] | |
Henry Purcell's Ode to St. Cecilia[6] |
∞ Collaborate with Sydney Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra, Choir and Chamber Choir
† Collaborate with Sydney University Symphony Orchestra
See also
Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association
References
- "University of Sydney Union - Our Clubs and Societies". www.usu.edu.au. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
- "Sydney University Musical Society (SUMS)". Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
- The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (22 August 2017), The Dream of Gerontius - E. Elgar (1857-1934), retrieved 31 March 2019
- "Review: SUMSxSUSO Present Beethoven 9". Honi Soit. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- "Greenway Series: SCM Symphony Orchestra and SCM Choirs". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- Sydney University Musical Society (SUMS). "140 Years: A Carolfest Concert". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.