Artists home for Christmas with seasonal music at St Mary’s, South Perth

It’s starting to sound a lot like Christmas, with seasonal music breaking out in churches across Perth.

On Saturday, artists who have flown back to WA from a world afflicted by COVID-19 will present I’ll be Home for Christmas, a festive reflection on their fates at St Mary’s Anglican Church, South Perth.

Soprano Daniella Sicari, mezzo soprano Caitlin Cassidy and organist Alessandro Pittorino had been building their international careers on concert platforms and opera houses in Europe, the UK, the US and Australia.

Sicari and Cassidy studied at WAAPA before moving abroad to pursue postgraduate studies in opera at Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and Mannes School of Music, New York, respectively. Pittorino studied organ at UWA before attending The Juilliard School (New York) for a masters in organ degree.

They present Christmas classics by Brahms, Handel and Bach, with some jazz favourites and traditional carols for the audience to join in.

“I’ll be Home for Christmas promises to be a magical occasion fit for the classical connoisseur and the child in us all,” Sicari said. “The idea behind it is usually the three of us are travelling around the world and sometimes can’t be back in Oz for Christmas.

“Sometimes it’s busy you have five Messiahs booked and you have to spend Christmas away from home.

“This year’s different and we’re all back here and our careers are on hold. But here we’re allowed to perform and in a place we call home.”

“We’re celebrating the fact we’re home.

“There will be some traditional carols for people to join in and some jazzy carols that people like, plus the classical repertoire: some of Handel's Messiah, some from Bach's Oratorio and some Brahms.

“The whole concert is going to be on organ, plus Kathy Potter on viola.

“As singers we really appreciate having that instrumental backing and also the viola is such a beautiful instrument.

“A lot of concerts have been cancelled so we hope this will help fill that gap.

“We want to kick start that festive feeling.

The concert is on Saturday, December 5, 7.30pm, at St Mary’s Anglican Church, South Perth. Tickets are available on www.trybooking.com/BMGKC.