Have you encountered the works of Australian composers like Elena Kats Chernin, Alice Chance, Dan Walker, or Luke Byrne? During her extensive career, Lyn Williams has commissioned and performed hundreds of choral works for children and young people. Taking the lead from Gondwana Choirs, Australia now has a solid tradition of new works for young voices, and leading choirs across the country regularly commission original works.
In this workshop, Lyn will introduce many of these vibrant Australian pieces. Participants will have the opportunity to sample and even sing a wide range of works, from simple songs for young children to sophisticated and complex pieces for high-level children’s choirs. Given her background working with the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir, some of the works Lyn will introduce have been composed by and with First Nations artists.
Beyond the repertoire, the session will explore Lyn’s teaching philosophy, its evolution, and its impact on performance style. The workshop will also delve into Gondwana Choirs—an organization that includes The Sydney Children’s Choir and Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir—and its profound influence on young choral singers in Australia. Finally, it will touch on the unique nature of the Indigenous choirs and the deep connection between their people, culture, and the land.
Join Lyn for this introduction to the unique Australian approach to children’s choirs.
ABOUT Lyn Williams
For over 30 years, Lyn has harnessed the power of young voices as the founder and director of her world-renowned ensembles, including the Sydney Children’s Choir, Gondwana Voices, and the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir. Her choirs have appeared with leading orchestras and conductors at prestigious festivals, including the BBC Proms. As a prolific commissioner of new works, Lyn has commissioned over 200 pieces from composers around the world. She continues to foster strong relationships with First Nations artists across Australia, creating new works that preserve and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. In recognition of her lifework as the founder and director of Gondwana Choirs, Lyn received the Australia Council for the Arts’ Don Banks Music Award in 2017.
