Castlemaine Uniting Church and Christ Church Castlemaine — Castlemaine Uniting interior (left) and the organ at Christ Church Castlemaine

Bendigo’s Keys of Gold Classical Music Festival is so called as the festival not only features keyboard instruments at every concert, but also features the rich heritage of glorious buildings, grand public spaces and elegant streetscapes all made possible through the discovery of gold in 1851.

Inspired by the vision of the great Victorian architect William Vahland to make Bendigo the ‘Vienna of the South’, the festival will bring Bendigo and surrounds’ multi-million dollar unique heritage of spectacular pipe organs to life, together with the Steinway concert grand piano selected by Vladimir Ashkenazy himself for the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and much more. There are 16 concerts across Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in July 2025 - in 11 venues in Bendigo, Castlemaine, Inglewood and Maldon, with 27 instruments and 45 performers.

PROGRAM

PART 1 - ORGAN AND CHORAL CLASSICS. CASTLEMAINE UNITING CHURCH

11 am – 11.40 am

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Chorus: The heavens are telling from the Oratorio The Creation

Pietro Yon (1886-1943)

Humoresque ‘L’organo primitivo’ – Toccatina for Flute, Organ solo

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Ave verum corpus, K. 618

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), transcribed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

First movement [without tempo indication] from Concerto in A minor, Op. 3 No. 8 [Concerto No. 2, BWV 593], Organ solo

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Cantique de Jean Racine [Chant by Jean Racine], Op. 11

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), trans. William Thomas Best (1826-1897)

Allegro, ma non presto [3rd mvt] from Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 4 No. 2, Organ solo

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore [Solemn vespers of the confessor], K. 339

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Chorus: Hallelujah from the Oratorio Messiah, HWV 56

11.40 am – 12.10 pm: Walk between venues

PART 2 - THE GLORY OF FRANCE. CHRIST CHURCH, CASTLEMAINE

12.10 pm – 12.50 pm

Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)

Grand Choeur in D major – Alla Handel, Op. 18 No 1, Organ solo

Jean Langlais (1907-1991)

Messe solennelle (1951)

i. Kyrie
ii. Gloria
iii. Sanctus
iv. Benedictus
v. Agnus Dei

BACK TO FULL KEYS OF GOLD PROGRAM

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
BENDIGO CHAMBER CHOIR
THOMAS HEYWOOD

Keys of Gold is presented by Bendigo Fine Music. BFM is a registered charity led by a team of people living in and around this beautiful city, aspiring to enrich lives for the good of the wider community through world-class fine music experiences in Bendigo’s unique performance spaces, unparalleled in regional Australia.