The Australian Voices - Mountain Chant - Toowoomba

The Australian Voices present Mountain Chant — a powerful choral program exploring landscape, spirituality, and the resonance of ancient texts in contemporary music. Central to the performance is a brand new work by Stephen Leek, one of Australia’s most influential and celebrated choral composers. Known for his evocative use of texture, space, and Australian identity, Leek’s music has shaped the sound of modern choral music both here and abroad. This new piece, written especially for The Australian Voices, continues his legacy of pushing the boundaries of vocal expression.

At the heart of the program is Mountain Chant, Ross Edwards’ rhythmically charged and emotionally rich work inspired by the Warrumbungle mountains and the overlapping histories they embody. With text by astronomer-poet Fred Watson, Mountain Chant draws together European, Indigenous, and spiritual perspectives, framed by Latin motets that reference mysticism and renewal.

Also featured are a series of newly commissioned short works inspired by the visionary writings of 12th-century mystic Hildegard von Bingen — reimagined for today in bold, contemporary choral settings.

A concert of sacred echoes, modern voices, and soaring soundscapes — Mountain Chant invites you into a world where mountains sing, and music becomes a map of memory, meaning, and transformation.