Naya Chorale mix pop, tradition and devotion at Government House Ballroom for Music on the Terrace

Eclectic inputs and energetic output marked Naya Chorale’s debut for Music on the Terrace at Government House Ballroom on Sunday.

The 40-strong a-cappella choir mixed pop, traditional and devotional music in a glittering pastiche neatly tailored to the ballroom’s exquisite acoustic by musical director Adam Brockway.

Pulsating rhythm and precise diction marked Gyorgy Orban’s Daemon Irrepit Callidus (The Demon sneaks discreetly), a melodic tale of devilish temptation breaking to a Dies Irae-like climax.

Rihanna’s We Found Love filled the room with soft ululation and a balladic lead, bursting out in vigorous chords then clouds of harmony billowing seamlessly from one phrase to another.

Rob Dietz’s Echo returned to Latin lyrics in echoes of peace, love and hope; opening in plainsong then layered harmonies in an optimistic, upbeat reflection of the group’s avowed focus on regeneration and improvement. Cascading lines pealed out like bells towards a dramatic dismount.

Tenor and basses took centre stage in barbershop style for Down by the Salley Gardens, blending Irish folksong with Yeats’ poetry of love’s lost dream, delicately lilting through agile transitions to the last tentative breath.

Changing up mood and tempo, Alan Menken’s A Little Patch of Heaven, from Disney’s Home on the Range, extolled the joys of the American West with a hint of exhilaration in breezy delivery, velvet timbre and a rich, vibrant cadence.

Sopranos and altos rejoined the choir for a Beatles medley. A featherlight touch in wordless chorus led out the beguiling lament, Yesterday, with soprano solo from Rory Geddes. Leaning into the ambience, all segued smoothly to Something, with dynamic and tonal control hinting at strengths yet to be revealed.

Guest conductor Katie How delivered those strengths with discipline in Ola Gjeilo’s Sanctus, a polyphonic tapestry of depth and devotion. Crushed chords caught the resonance of the ballroom, deftly ringing the bell of the domed ceiling in a glorious Hosanna to close the first half.

Devotion continued after the break in Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria, with solos from tenor Alvin Sorgon and soprano Priscilla Cornelius setting a tone of simple joy and reverence carried by the choir towards a triumphal Amen.

Variations in position and personnel rang the changes, mixing and matching eight separate cohorts — two of each voice — to suit the repertoire.

Spirit Cold, by Paul Wright and Tim Harrington, made the most of antiphonal groups, lending a symphonic level of sophistication.

Sopranos and altos then took the lead under How’s direction for Stevie Nicks’ Landslide, massaging the meditative theme in overlaid melodic lines, with a cameo from soprano Eliza Kan and a blissful cadence.

The Christmas-themed Gaudete (Rejoice), from Piae Cantiones (Pious Songs), rolled back time to Renaissance tonality with sparse intervals punctuated by percussion. Michael Engelhardt’s arrangement then built ever fuller harmony and complex rhythms for a vigorous and vital conclusion.

Tenors and basses returned with Brockway for Words, by Anders Edenroth of Swedish choir The Real Group. Spoken voice morphed to a bouncy, pop-like palette with an echo of ABBA. Chords then supported spoken phrases before resolving to full choral mode with a touch of Broadway to close.

K-Pop sensation EJAE’s Your Idol, adapted by Julia Nicholls, broached new sounds, starkly tolling to ominous effect as the choir prioritised dramatic impact; short, sharp and shocking.

Finally, Jacob Collier’s Little Blue restored whole-souled harmony with neat chordal crushes and tempered dynamics; Naya Chorale’s happy-clappy space, hopeful to the last.

An encore of Scotland the Brave then blazed out with pride and passion to close the bill.

Music on the Terrace returns on November 7 and 8 with pianist Wynona Wang and Opus WA Arts Orchestra.