The Contemporary Singers


The Contemporary Singers of Australia were a chamber choir based in Sydney, New South Wales, dedicated to the choral music of the 20th century. The group was formed in late 1986 by visiting Canadian composer with assistance from the University of Sydney and the NSW State Conservatorium of Music. Colwell directed the Singers for their first year, passing the leadership to and , who directed the Singers until 1999. Many of the original members were composition students of Peter Sculthorpe including , , and Canadian composer .
The Contemporary Singers varied in size between 12 and 30 voices, and developed a repertoire of over 70 works by about 55 different composers, giving Australian premiere performances of many significant works for chamber choir. Some members also sang with the Sydney Chamber Choir and subsequently with Walker's professional choir .
The Singers' first recording, showcased Anne Boyd's As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams and Veni sancte spiritus--veni creator by Jennifer Fowler. They are featured in Raffaele Marcellino's commission for the Sydney Olympic Games, . Their recording of Nigel Butterley's The True Samaritan on won the APRA Award for Best Vocal or Choral Work of the Year in 2003.

Awards and nominations

APRA-AMC Classical Music Awards

The APRA-AMC Classical Music Awards are presented annually by Australasian Performing Right Association and Australian Music Centre.