Handel's Messiah set for Norfolk Island dates in first for Philo

THE Toowoomba Philharmonic Society is taking Handel’s Messiah to Norfolk Island as part of its November-December tour.

While Messiah has been performed many times by “Philo” over the decades on the Darling Downs and in neighbouring regions, never has the group performed it outside south-east Queensland.

The Norfolk Island leg also marks the choir’s first trip offshore in its 122-year history, and is bookended by tour dates in Nanango, Toowoomba and Warwick.

Norfolk Island came on to the Philo radar last year after it was visited in 2023 by Philo’s artistic director, conductor and soprano Calista Walters.

“Apart from its beauty and its history, what struck me were the similarities between its community and the ones where we regularly perform,” Ms Walters said.

Having grown up in the South Burnett township of Nanango, which these days has a population of 3438¹, Ms Walters understands the value of bringing music out of the city to places like Norfolk Island, population 2188².

“Our mission is to take music to communities that can’t access the range of programs that people living in Toowoomba or capital cities can, so Norfolk Island is a fit.

“I hope the audiences on Norfolk and here in Queensland enjoy experiencing the emotion and the power of Handel’s Messiah, which is always a joy to perform.”

Philo’s Norfolk Island contingent numbers 50, including an orchestra of 10, and guest choristers Doug and Mariana from North Carolina in the United States.

“They contacted us through our website saying they love singing Handel’s Messiah in choirs around the world, and asked if they could join us for part of the tour; of course, we said ‘yes’.”

Between the choir and orchestra, ages of participants range from cellist Lucy Peters in her teens to seasoned international traveler John Stringer in his nineties.

All performances feature soloists, with Brisbane-based coach Leslie Martin-Nightingale recently hosting a masterclass to help further polish vocal performances.

Philo acknowledges support from the Australian Cultural Fund and energy provider Stanwell in financing its Handel’s Messiah 2025 tour.

Tickets for all performances are available online now through TryBooking.

Nanango: 2pm, November 29 at Our Lady, Help of Christians;

Toowoomba: 2pm, November 30 and December 13 at St Luke’s Church;

Norfolk Island: 7pm, December 5 and 2pm, December 7 at Rawson Hall;

Warwick: 2pm, December 14 at St Mary’s Church.

Email admin@tps.community , visit the Philo website, or phone 0418 484 446 to find out more.