The Red Dirt Hymns are songs of awe and praise about the Australian landscape written over four years by Australian composer and broadcaster Andrew Ford. These secular hymns are inspired by folk, country ballads and Aussie rock and use the words of sixteen Australian writers, poets and folksingers. They will be performed by the acclaimed Luminescence Chamber Singers alongside combined community choirs of the Sapphire Coast in the concluding act of the Spring Youth Music Festival.
Luminescence Chamber Singers has emerged as one of Australia’s most exciting professional ensembles, championing the unbound expressive potential of our original instrument: the human voice. First founded in 2015 amongst undergraduate students, Luminescence now comprises a professional six-voice ensemble. They will be joined by four local choirs: Bega Valley Male Voice Choir, Riverbend Choir, That Bunch of Singers and Spirit Allegro.
“It’s going to be an extraordinary moment hearing Red Dirt Hymns brought to life by Luminescence alongside our community choirs. This collaboration is the conclusion of the Spring Youth Music Festival and embodies everything it stands for – professional artistry meeting community spirit, creating something far greater than the sum of its parts.’’
”Andrew Ford’s new song cycle Red Dirt Hymns was one of the most purely enjoyable hours of music it’s been my pleasure to experience.”
Your ticket price includes entry to Spring Youth Music Festival 2025, showcasing young musicians, local and visiting professionals and up and coming artists. Come early with friends and family to savour delicious food, relax on the grass beneath the towering gums, and enjoy remarkable musicians – culminating in Red Dirt Hymns performed by Luminescence singers and local choirs.
Artists
Luminescence Chamber Singers
AJ America
Josephine Brereton
Rachel Mink
Alasdair Stretch
Dan Walker
Lucien Fischer
With:
Bega Valley Male Voice Choir – Geoffrey Badger, director
Riverbend Choir – Geoffrey Badger, director
That Bunch of Singers – Dan Scollay, director
Spirit Allegro – Clare Fitzgerald, director
Tickets
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Meet the Artists
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Luminescence Chamber Singers
AJ America is a performer, conductor, and creative producer. She is the Artistic Director of Luminescence Chamber Singers and Children’s Choir. In 2023 AJ was awarded the APRA AMCOS Art Music ACT Luminary Award. She was Chair of the ACT Minister’s Creative Council from 2022 – 2023 and continues to serve as a member of the Creative Council.
Josephine Brereton is a soprano, music educator, and graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she completed a Bachelor of Music Education. Josephine is an accomplished vocal educator and music director. She currently teaches voice and conducts choirs at Abbotsleigh Senior School and serves as Music Director and Yodeler with the Sydney Swiss Yodelers, who are preparing for their upcoming tour to Jodelfest 2026 in Basel, Switzerland.
Rachel Mink is a soprano and versatile artist interest in music that inspires connection. From her early singer-songwriter days to her work on the classical concert stage, Rachel enjoys genre-bending work and is committed to accessibility in classical music. Praised for her “thrillingly ecstatic” voice (ClassikON), Rachel appears regularly as a solo and consort singer across Australia. Rachel is a member of Luminescence Chamber Singers and was a Pacific Opera Young Artist in 2021 and 2022.
Alasdair Stretch is a bass / baritone who grew up immersed in the choral world, and his love of music started at a young age as a chorister at St Andrew’s, Brighton. Having studied at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Carrie Barr, and an alumnus of the Choir of Trinity College, Melbourne, Alasdair draws from a wealth of experience from various corners of the musical world, including opera, vocal ensemble, art song, oratorio and choral, and is sought-after as a bass-baritone and musical director.
Dan Walker is a tenor, composer, conductor and performer and one of Australia’s most in-demand choral specialists. He has had works commissioned by the Sydney Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Gondwana Choirs and Halcyon. As a performer, Dan is a member of numerous professional vocal ensembles, including Luminescence Chamber Singers, The Consort of Melbourne, Cantillation, Pinchgut Opera, and the Song Company. He was a founding member of early music ensemble ‘The Parson’s Affayre.’
Lucien Fischer is a baritone, baritone and a freelance singer and arts administrator based in Melbourne. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Classical Voice from the University of Western Australia in 2013, and for many years was a member of the professional choirs of St George’s Cathedral, and a core member and eventual Artistic Director of The Giovanni Consort.
Bega Valley Male Voice Choir
Bega Valley Male Voice Choir: The Bega Valley Men’s Choir formed after the Black Summer fires of 2020-2021 by conductor Geoffrey Badger. It has succeeded as a source of strength, beauty, community and connection between men across the valley since that time. Filled with rich, deep harmonies, love songs and lullabies, the sound of the choir lifts spirits and soothes the soul.
Riverbend Choir
Riverbend is a female voice choir led by well-known choral director Geoffrey Badger. The choir sings songs that evoke strength, intelligence and inspiration. Riverbend quickly captured hearts across the Bega Valley, performing at Wanderer Festival 2023, as well as supporting the likes of Robyn Martin and Djinama Yilaga choir. With a diverse repertoire from around the world, Riverbend showcases the strength and versatility of the female voice, and the powerful energy of our creative community.
That Bunch of Singers
That Bunch of Singers meets in Bermagui, with members coming from as far away as Potato Point, Narooma, Cobargo and Quaama. Dan Scollay is an experienced choir director and workshop leader, respected and celebrated for her ability to bring joy while creating clever musical results in a large group of people. Dan grew up singing with Judith Clingan’s GANDEAMUS, an Australian music youth company where she travelled as a choir member and soloist throughout Australia and overseas.
Spirit Allegro
Spirit Allegro is a community choir on the far South Coast of NSW. The choir was founded in 2015 by Dr. Wayne “Sandy” Glass, who directed the group until June 2017. Spirit Allegro offers diverse programs, largely comprising works from traditional Western choral repertoire. Spirit Allegro appointed music teacher, accompanist, and director of senior school choirs Clare Fitzgerald as Music Director in June 2025.