Come sing a song of joy: CSO Chorus readies for Beethoven's work for the ages

Musically, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is a monumental classical work that is also cemented in the popular consciousness.

That has much to do with a soaring choral component in the final movement set to German poet Friedrich Schiller’s Ode to Joy, which includes an instantly recognisable melody.

The Canberra Symphony Orchestra will stage the great symphony on 7 and 8 August at Llewellyn Hall to mark its 200th anniversary, and a lot will be riding on its all-Canberra Chorus, comprising music teachers, students and amateur voices from local choirs.

Father and daughter Percy and Amelia Bell are excited, if a little daunted, at the opportunity to be part of such a great musical event for Canberra.

For Treasury official and tenor Percy, it will be his first outing with the Chorus after being inspired by his daughter in the recent CSO performance of Handel’s Messiah.

“I was in the audience for Messiah and just blown away,” Percy said.

“I’ve watched Amelia performing for 12 years and finally decided to see if I could join in as well. So I’m feeling very nervous about it. I certainly don’t have the experience that Amelia does.

“It’s pretty amazing to be able to do it together.”

Aspiring soprano Amelia will be the second youngest member of the Chorus, but she is well used to the guidance of Chorus master Tobias Cole, having sung in his choirs since she was seven.

The Messiah and the 9th is a big commitment for the final year Girls Grammar student, but it has been worth it.

“The Messiah is one of the single best decisions I ever made,” Amelia said.

“It was such an incredible experience. I don’t think I have felt music so authentically as I did with Messiah.”

Amelia said the sheer length of the 9th, the stamina required, and the fact that the Ode to Joy is in German made for a huge challenge, but Tobias entreated the Chorus to not just sing the words but embrace the meaning.

“I’m so excited. It’s such an amazing group to work with,” she said.

Amelia studies classical voice with soprano Sonia Anfiloff, and Percy said having his daughter with him has been a big help.

“Amelia explains how music works. She understands the theory and has given me the confidence,” he said.

They are both looking forward to working with a full orchestra under conductor Jessica Cottis and the soloists – soprano Emma Pearson, mezzo Ashlyn Tymms, tenor James Egglestone and bass Adrian Tamburini.

Percy said the establishment of the Chorus and the opportunities the CSO was offering for choral music had been very beneficial for musicians in Canberra.

“For someone who is on the cusp like Amelia, it’s a huge opportunity,” he said.

Tobias Cole is passionate about the two-year-old Chorus project and thrilled at the CSO’s input.

“We’ve got the potential to give the orchestra a really good quality choir and they’re pulling out the stops to make that happen,” he said.

“It’s a real commitment by CSO to this long-term project.

“It’s very encouraging for singing in Canberra, but also to the whole music ecosystem.”

The Chorus for the 9th will be 55-strong, up from the 32 who performed Messiah with a smaller orchestra. That’s a much-needed boost, given the power that Jessica Cottis will muster with the full orchestra.

Then there’s the German, something Tobias said you couldn’t cut corners with.

“If we can really make that connection visceral, then it will be absolutely profound,” he said.

Tobias said that with each performance, the Chorus could only get better.

“We’re constantly trying to raise the bar and learning from every project we do,” Tobias said.

He said it would really thrive in a few years’ time and resonate beyond Canberra.

“I know these things have such great potential.”

Age was no barrier, with members ranging from the teens to the seventies. But tenors and basses were hard to come by.

To learn more about the CSO Chorus and the Beethoven 9 concert, visit the CSO.