This year The Tall Poppeas celebrates the beginning of its eighth consecutive year. Formed in Sydney to explore and perform music composed for three female voices in the late renaissance and baroque periods, the group is named after Monteverdi's seductive and ambitious heroine Poppea (pronounced pop-pay-yah) from his opera "The Coronation Of Poppea". We believe the name encapsulates the essence of the group: performance of baroque repertoire, exploration of music by rarely performed composers, especially female composers, and our Australian origin, in playing on the expression "tall poppy syndrome". In researching our music, we learned of the "Singing Ladies of Ferrara" who were famous in the late 16th Century for their charm and virtuosic singing. As the first truly professional singers in an Italian court, they were trail blazers. Many composers of the time, of whom Luzzaschi was one, wrote music for these influential and talented singers. Whilst not quite the Andrews Sisters, the close knit harmonies and intertwining of the vocal lines makes for rapturous listening. Audiences have described our singing and the music we perform as 'luscious", "inspirational" and "music for the soul" and it is thrilling for us to continue its legacy into the 21st century.
Whilst "The Singing Ladies" performed to a very elite circle, The Tall Poppeas' aim is to present the music in a refreshing and memorable way, making it easily accessible to a wide ranging audience, regardless of musical preferences. To this end, we have performed in a diverse range of venues including Sydney's Darlinghurst Theatre, at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Newtown Festival, Vic Markets in Melbourne, Norton Street Festa in Leichhardt, Glebe Music Festival and Glenfield Music Festival.
We have also presented concerts at Sydney's Government House as part of the Historic Houses Trust "House Music" series, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, St. Scholastica's Chapel, Glebe, St. Andrews College Chapel, Sydney University, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Paddington, St. Peters Presbyterian Church, North Sydney & the St. Ives Uniting Church.
The group has also presented two winter Masked Balls and a Harry Potter-inspired Trivia Night in association with the Early Dance Consort to sell out crowds and in 2007, members participated in the Hobart International Early Music Workshop with lutenist Hopkinson Smith.
Singers clockwise from left:
Hester Hannah; Danielle Grant; Inara Molinari
Photo by Branco Gaica.
Since its inception, The Tall Poppeas has performed with numerous professional artists, as well as providing performance opportunities to emerging instrumentalists and singers. These have included:
Harpsichord: Elizabeth Anderson; Chris Berensen; Marie-Louise Catsalis; Prue Gibbs; Francis Greep; Joanna Tondys; Diana Weston.
Viola da Gamba: Jennifer Eriksson.
Theorbo, Lute, Guitar: Andrew Byrne; Alexander Cronin; Andrew White.
Baroque Cello: Clara Blazer; Alexandra Sholler
Baroque Violin: Delphine Barbot; Esther Cheng; Erin Chen (Perth); John Ma.
Recorder: Alana Blackburn
Baroque Flute: Robin Hillier (Melb.)
Voice: Lyndsey Gartside, Soprano (UK); Jennifer Kaye, Soprano; Anna Sandstrom, Soprano;
Heather Aston, Mezzo; Jenny Duck-Chong, Mezzo; Tobias Cole, Counter-Tenor.
In 2008, the group will appear at the New England Bach Festival presenting a program of vocal works by Bach and Hildegard von Bingen inspired by Hildegard's "Ordo Virtutum". Singers Anna Fraser and Danielle Grant have both fled the country for extended travel overseas, so we are delighted that joining us will be guest English mezzo soprano Sarah Sweeting.
See Concerts