Preceded by a talk about the work given by the Dean of Melbourne, the Very Revd Andreas Loewe, a former Chaplain of Trinity College, the concert was the first in a series of appearances by the Choir in the lead up to Easter, and began the Choir's farewells to its Director of Music, Michael Leighton Jones, who retires this year after 17 years at Trinity.
The performance featured an array of Australia's finest musical talent, including the vocal soloists Paul McMahon as the Evangelist, Janet Todd (Soprano), Sally-Anne Russell (Mezzo), Richard Butler (Tenor), Andrew Collis (Bass) and Michael Leighton Jones in his farewell concert playing the role of Jesus, while the original-instrument orchestra was led by the Adelaide-based Baroque violinist Lucinda Moon.
The concert will be broadcast on ABC Classic FM on Good Friday, 18 April, at 10.00am.
The following evening saw the Choir return to St Paul's for a special Palm Sunday service of Evensong, where the Warden of Trinity College, the Revd Canon Andrew McGowan, presided, and a massed choir of more than seventy current and former members of the Choir of Trinity College paid tribute to Michael Leighton Jones, who conducted music that included Herbert Howell's ‘St Paul's’ Service, and two works written by Michael himself.
At the reception afterwards, Michael was presented with a musical score signed by all the singers who were present for the bitter-sweet celebrations.
