Our Stories

Our Stories

Presented by Canberra Choral Society
as part of the UPSTAGEING Canberra Festival

What happens when a community is given space to tell its own story?

Our Stories is a concert about lived experience. It brings together voices from across generations to explore memory, identity, belonging, and what it means to be heard.

Presented by Canberra Choral Society, this performance places storytelling at the centre of choral music. Directed by Dan Walker, featuring soloists Rachel Mink, Soprano, and Alasdair Stretch, Baritone, together with a string quartet and pianoforte.

The repertoire moves from stillness and reflection in Deep Peace (Bill Douglas), through memory and familiarity in Fields of Gold (Sting, arr. Dan Walker), to works that sit with humility, love, and the inner life, including He Never Expected Much (Dan Walker), Luminous Night of the Soul (Ola Gjeilo), and Sure on this Shining Night (Morten Lauridsen).

Our Stories is shaped by the idea that everyone carries a story worth listening to. Some are joyful, some complex, some unfinished. Together, they form a rich and honest portrait of our community, reflected in works such as Our First April (Marjorie Halloran), The Circle Game (Joni Mitchell, arr. Dan Walker), and The Hope of Loving (Jake Runestad).

As part of the UPSTAGEING Canberra Festival, this concert celebrates wisdom, resilience, and the power of making art in life, not as nostalgia, but as a vital and contemporary act.

Our Stories is about connection. About listening. About recognising ourselves in one another. It invites audiences to slow down, listen deeply, and find something of their own story in the music.

Performance details

James Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery of Australia (NGA)*

Sunday 29 March, 6:00pm -

PLEASE NOTE THE STARTING TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 6PM due to recent advice from the NGA. We apologise for the inconvenience.

*Entry to NGA

The National Gallery’s main entrance has been temporarily relocated to the Level 1 revolving doors while critical building rectification works are carried out.

Visitors will still be able to access a full range of services including the information desk, ticketing, cloaking, lockers and Art Store facilities, via the Level 1 entrance. 

Stairs - From the lakeside Sculpture Garden and the northern end of the underground visitor carpark.

Ramp - From the visitor carpark, take the lift to the Ground Level, then follow the temporary ramp to the entrance.

Bridge - The bridge from the National Portrait Gallery and High Court is wheelchair accessible and leads directly to the temporary entrance.

Further information: https://nga.gov.au/about-us/building-works/