Our Stories

Overview

Proudly presented by Canberra Choral Society (CCS) as part of the inaugural UPSTAGEING Canberra festival, 'Our Stories' is an exciting choral event with storytelling at its heart.

Directed by Dan Walker, CCS Music Director, featuring the CCS choir, soloists Rachel Mink Soprano and Alasdair Stretch Baritone, and a string quartet and pianoforte, Our Stories is about lived experience, bringing together voices from across generations to explore memory, identity, belonging, and what it means to be heard.

From stillness and reflection in 'Deep Peace' (Bill Douglas), through memory and familiarity in 'Fields of Gold' (Sting, arr. Dan Walker), to works resonant with humility, love, and the inner life, including 'He Never Expected Much' (Dan Walker), 'Luminous Night of the Soul' (Ola Gjeilo), and 'Sure on this Shining Night' (Morten Lauridsen). Our Stories is shaped by the idea that everyone carries a story worth sharing, whether joyful, complex, or unfinished. Together, they form a rich portrait of our community, reflected in works such as 'Our First April' (Marjorie Halloran), 'The Circle Game' (Joni Mitchell, arr. Dan Walker), and 'The Hope of Loving' (Jake Runestad).

This heartwarming concert is about sharing stories, connection, listening and finding something of our own story in the music.