Prayer Bells
Originally commissioned for Australia’s Centenary of Federation, Prayer Bells comprises 21 prayers for three solo cantors, eight male voices and a set of specially cast quarter-tone bells. An intimate work of contemporary vocal reverence, Prayer Bells is A choral concert piece that calls to a spectrum of religious and ethnic experience. Listen to an interview with Koukias from Radio National.
The ethereal notes of the bells perfectly span the Greek, Latin and Hebrew chant traditions intoned by the soloists. Opera Opera’s Kirk Hume describes the effect as “intriguing and compelling – the sounds ascending like spirits into the darkness of the church’s high vaulted ceilings”. Prayer Bells premiered in Australia at the Federation Festival of Melbourne in 2001. In 2010, composer Constantine Koukias brought Prayer Bells to the Chicago Cultural Center – a hymn for connection in a world of spiritual diversity.
| Music Director | Ted Hearne |
| Associate Producer | Isobel Ferrier (International Touring) |
| Bell Makers | Neil McLachlan & Anton Hassel |
| Sound Designer | Greg Gurr |
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| Greek Cantor | Asterios Zouriakas |
| Hebrew Cantor | Mark Crayton |
| Latin Cantor | Benjamin LeClair |
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| Male Chorus | Isaiah Robinson Jack Cotterell Robert Hackett Christopher Yung Gary Alexander Jonah Gaster Brad Whaley Eric Miranda |