Now in its 40th year, QPAC’s Spirit of Christmas is a joyous celebration of the festive season, bringing together massed choirs, orchestras, solo artists and the community for a heartwarming evening of music and tradition.

It was a privilege to be invited to QPAC’s longest-running event, and as a first-timer, I made a silly mistake: I didn’t pack any tissues. Soloist Waveney Yasso and the QPAC Chamber Choir set me off right from the Acknowledgement of Country, their voices resonating with emotional depth and power.

The event was hosted by musical theatre royalty Rachael Beck and saw a 125-voice Spirit of Christmas Choir gather on stage. Specially formed for the event under the direction of Timothy Sherlock, it comprised the Children’s Health Queensland Choir, Cappella Chorale, Ellinikes Fones and the QPAC Chamber Choir, each representing the values of community, inclusion and empowerment, and offering a space for participants of all backgrounds to experience the joy of making music together.

Joining them was the angelic Brisbane Birralee Voices, the signature children’s choir of Voices of Birralee. And for the first time, the Queensland Youth Orchestra was invited to perform alongside the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, providing a valuable mentoring opportunity for these bright young musicians. Kicking off with a Christmas Overture, the orchestra sounded magnificent, and under the expert direction of MD / Conductor Simon Kenway, we were in for a treat.

For the first time, Queensland Symphony Orchestra teamed up with Queensland Youth Orchestra.

It was a night filled with highlights. From the community carols where everyone sang along, (‘The First Noel’ was a particularly stirring one), to the fun moment where children were invited onstage and given a pair of antlers to keep as they sang along to ‘Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.’

The QPAC Chamber Choir’s rendition of ‘Ukrainian Bell Carol’ gave me goosebumps (aka Carol of the Bells), while their performance of ‘Sleigh Ride’ was also a standout favourite. The Voices of Birralee delivered a stunning version of ‘All is Well,’ and their vocals perfectly complimented Waveney Yasso’s in a powerful version of ‘Silent Night.’

Rachael Beck was joined by musical theatre stars Alinta Chidzey and Josh Piterman, and together, they delivered a captivating version of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ Chidzey brought the house down with her version of ‘O Holy Night,’ accompanied by the outstanding QPAC Chamber Choir.

Guest artist Nick Smith, freshly graduated from the Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Queensland Conservatorium, performed the Grammy award winning and Oscar nominated song ‘Believe’ from the film The Polar Express. Smith’s vocals were exquisite, his talents surely a gift to our industry and his future on stage certainly a bright one.

Waveney Yasso delivered the Christmas Message on behalf of Uncle Steven Coghill, who was detained in Vanuatu following the recent earthquake. In the spirit of the season, funds were being raised at intermission and after the performance for Common Ground. A community housing provider, Common Ground provides secure, long term, safe and affordable supportive housing for people who have experienced chronic homelessness or are at risk of homelessness and those who need access to affordable housing.

Spirit of Christmas truly captured the magic of the season with its uplifting spirit and sense of community. It is easy to see why it is an unmissable event on the festive calendar. There are two more performances of Spirit of Christmas live at the Concert Hall, QPAC, today at 2pm and tonight at 7pm.

Those who missed Spirit of Christmas can stream it for free on Digital Stage, starting at 5pm on Christmas Eve, where it will be available to watch for 48 hours.

Tickets: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2024/spirit-of-christmas

Images: Spirit of Christmas, 2023. Supplied by QPAC.