Perth Voice Interactive

PERTH choir Naya Chorale is back from performing at Carnegie Hall.

The newly formed a cappella group of 50 singers had been invited to the prestigious New York venue by the Distinguished Concerts International New York which scours the world for choirs worthy of performing there.

Naya Chorale hadn’t even staged its first performance when catching the notice of the DCINY. It was invited to New York on the strength of a rehearsal posted to Youtube.

Eighteen-year-old chorister Fletcher Cox from Coolbinia met musical hero Eric Whitacre, a composer with about a dozen awards under his belt including a Grammy.

“It was really quite nerve-wracking because not only did I perform in the concert but there were a couple of soloist places,” Mr Cox says.

“You had to audition in front of him and the choir, and I was lucky enough to be chosen by him for a solo passage in one of his large choir pieces, Hallelujah.

“To sing in front of him, it was really exhilarating and hard to wrap my head around. I was very nervous but I think he liked it.”

Director Adam Brockway says the troupe had been astounded to receive an invite so early in its existence.

He described walking out on stage at Carnegie as, “wonderment at the thought of the other musicians that have trodden those floors before you”.

Mr Cox, who studies trumpet at UWA, signed up to Naya Chorale after graduating from Perth Modern school and having missed being part of a singing group.

“It was as though I was leaving a gap, so I figured it would be a good idea to fill it with something.”

He says the group’s second season is, “looking really amazing, we’ve got a huge variety of pieces that we’re performing, and it’s just sounding fantastic”.

“Every audience member is going to get a kick out of it, I think.”

Naya Chorale performs June 7 and 8 at Perth Modern School. Book via the website nayachorale.com/concerts

by DAVID BELL