Bendigo’s Keys of Gold Classical Music Festival was held in July 2025. The festival not only featured keyboard instruments at every concert, but also featured the rich heritage of glorious buildings, grand public spaces and elegant streetscapes all made possible through the discovery of gold in 1851.

Such was the success of the festival we are presenting an ENCORE PERFORMANCE of the sold-out concert Olde Worlde Favourites, featuring soprano Merlyn Quaife AM and organist Thomas Heywood.

Inspired by the vision of the great Victorian architect William Vahland to make Bendigo the ‘Vienna of the South’, the festival brought 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. This special concert featured the recently restored pipe organ at St Augustine's Church, Inglewood.

PROGRAM

Philip Charles Plaisted (1844-1920), transcribed by Thomas Heywood (b.1974)

Grand March [composed for the opening of the Melbourne Town Hall organ, August 1872], Organ solo

Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)

Yum-Yum’s Aria: The sun whose rays are all ablaze from The Mikado

Johann Strauss, Jnr (1825-1899), arranged by Ralph Benatzky (1884-1957)

The Nuns’ Chorus from Casanova

Franz Schubert (1797-1828), trans. W.T. Best (1826-1897)

Military March No. 1 in D major from Three Military Marches, Op. 51, Organ solo

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Hear ye, Israel from Elijah, Op. 70

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Pie Jesu from Requiem, Op. 48

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), trans. Dr Osborne H. Peasgood (1902-1962)

Hornpipe from Water Music Suite No. 2 in D, HWV 349, Organ solo

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

Ave Maria - Méditation sur le Premier Prélude de Piano de J.S. Bach

Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1869)

Sortie [in E flat], Organ solo

César Franck (1822-1890)

Panis angelicus from Messe solennelle in A major, Op. 12

The Revd Dr George William Torrance (1835-1907), trans. Thomas Heywood (b.1974)

The Melbourne Exhibition March, Organ solo

Stephen Adams [Michael Maybrick] (1844-1913)

The Holy City

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

THOMAS HEYWOOD

MERLYN QUAIFE AM

Keys of Gold was 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.