AVÉ are returning to Sydney to present Thought is Surrounded by a Halo - our project featuring the words of Gwen Harwood.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
2:30 PM until 3:50 PM
ACO On The Pier - The Neilson, Hickson Road Dawes Point, NSW, 2000 Australia (map)
Four of Australia’s finest vocalists bring the words of one of the nation’s most revered poets, Gwen Harwood, to life through new Australian compositions that listen closely to the emotional and philosophical worlds within her texts.
This song cycle features new works commissioned and composed for AVÉ by Stephen Leek, Anne Cawrse, Sally Whitwell, Perry Joyce, Paul Stanhope, Kevin Baker, Joseph Twist, Elena Kats-Chernin, Andrew O’Connor and Thomas Green. Each composer brings a distinct musical language to Harwood’s poetry, crafting songs that respond to her insights, personal reflections, and lyricism with depth and sensitivity.
These works have become living interpretations of both the text and AVÉ’s growing sound world. Rooted in the traditions of a cappella chamber music, AVÉ’s programming embraces contemporary voices and reimagines classical works, offering performances that are warm and welcoming.
The program also features AVÉ’s interpretations of music by Bach, Tomás Luis de Victoria, paying tribute to the golden age of vocal polyphony and highlighting the individual voices of the ensemble.