Lyric Opera of Melbourne: Songs of Faith, Hope and Fever
Join the Lyric Opera of Melbourne for an afternoon of profound musical intimacy and spiritual exploration. This special fundraising concert completes our presentation of the extraordinary Canticles of Benjamin Britten—often described as “operas in miniature”—alongside the world premiere of a new song cycle by acclaimed composer Kevin March.
The Program
The concert focuses on Britten’s late-career masterpieces, which distil complex emotional and spiritual themes into concentrated forms:
- Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi: A dramatic retelling of T.S. Eliot’s poem, exploring themes of alienation and religious questioning through the voices of countertenor, tenor, and baritone.
- Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus: Britten’s haunting final canticle for tenor and harp, written in the shadow of his own mortality and setting Eliot’s early, visionary poetry.
- World Premiere – Sacred Songs Books III by Kevin March: A powerful contemporary response to the Britten works, March’s new song cycle offers a deeply personal reflection on faith and meaning in the modern world.
The concert will feature the extraordinary Louis Hurley accompanied by special guests David Greco, Hamish Gould, Isaac Mouskovias, and Megan Reeve on harp, with all proceeds going to supporting Lyric Opera’s major production for 2026, Händel’s Serse.
Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the concert.