Art Song Canberra

About Art Song Canberra

Art Song Canberra was founded as the A.C.T. Lieder Society in 1976 by a small group of devotees of art song led by Eleanor Houston OAM of Covent Garden fame. The society's purpose is to foster and extend the love of art song.  Its Patron is His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce AM AE.  It is a dedicated group of volunteers and lovers of art song.  It has about 120 members.  It has established loyal support from the Canberra community and has consistently gained positive reviews for its concerts. It received a Canberra Critics' Circle Award in 2002 for consistent high-quality programming.

Art Song Canberra brings together people who enjoy the intimate, exquisite art form of the art song, a type of classical song usually but not always performed with piano accompaniment, using beautiful texts often by great poets. The piano is equally as important as the voice, playing a vital role in portraying the meaning of these songs, not only supporting the voice but meticulously setting the mood of the song.

The art form originated in Germany and Austria and peaked in importance in the 19th century.  Great exponents included the composers Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Richard Strauss and Mahler; the more notable poets included Goethe, Rilke and Heine.  While this art form was originally dominated by the German tradition, a similar style developed all over Europe and the USA — in France (the Chanson or Mélodie), Spain, Russia and English-speaking countries.  Other composers of this wider variety of songs include Debussy, Fauré, Ravel, Obradors, de Falla, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Tosti, Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Britten, Quilter, Barber and very many others.

Art Song Canberra presents to its members and the general public an annual series of high quality recitals called the Season of Song. These concerts are recorded by radio station ArtSound FM for later broadcast. Art Song Canberra also presents other events including:

• an annual Festival of Song, in which aspiring and developing singers perform to an audience in a relaxed and friendly environment and receive advice and encouragement from an acknowledged expert;
• Members’ Soirées — social gatherings of members to sing and play together, taking us back to the origin of Lieder societies; and
• other occasional concerts or musical events not forming part of the Season of Song.

The eighteenth annual Festival of Song will take place in 2010. It aims to help and encourage developing singers of art song. The Festival provides an excellent opportunity to singers of all ages to sing to an audience in a friendly, non-competitive, informal setting and receive expert, encouraging comment and advice both oral and written. It is a feast of art song for participants and audience members alike.

Art Song Canberra supports the Australian National Eisteddfod by donating the Art Song Canberra Prize in the Vocal Division each year.  The prize is awarded to the singer who earns the highest aggregate marks in any three of five art song Sections: Classical Song - Australian Composer; German Lieder or Balladen; French Mélodie; English Art Song; and Italian Song.  The Festival of Song provides an excellent opportunity to singers in preparation of their work for intended Eisteddfod competition.

For details of all Art Song Canberra events, see the program page.

Supported by the ACT Government