Performance at Royal Albert Hall, London

Sandra's composition Anthem was selected for performance by the massed choirs at the Redbridge Schools Choral Festival held at Royal Albert Hall, London, on Saturday, 29 March 2008.

Redbridge is a borough located about seven miles (11 km) from central London. The Redbridge Music School (which is an initiative of the borough council) provides instrumental and vocal music teaching programs and support in schools throughout the borough. The School presents approximately 50 annual concerts as well as the biennial Redbridge Schools Choral Festival at the Royal Albert Hall.

Over 1900 children from schools throughout Redbridge take part in the Choral Festival.

In preparation for this very special performance, Sandra was commissioned to arrange Anthem for SAB voicing and to write the score for the accompanying symphony orchestra.

Blackstone-Ipswich Cambrian Choir CD recording

A Cambrian Collection

This recording presents an eclectic collection of repertoire presented by the choir at eisteddfodau and performances during 2007 and 2008. Opening with the vital exuberance of Sing Praise to God, Gloria! and the exquisite serenity of Sure on This Shining Night, it moves on to explore the deep-felt emotions embodied in African-American gospel and spiritual music, before embarking on the syncopated rhythms and crunchy harmonies of the jazz era. Added to the mix is the powerful operatic sound of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Masquerade, a rollicking piratical shanty from the men, and Nancy Telfer’s imaginative Butterfly presented by the ladies chorus. And all of this topped off by that emotive evergreen What a Wonderful World.

A Cambrian Collection may be purchased through the Blackstone-Ipswich Cambrian Choir.

Bayside Divas CD Recording

Début

This first recording by the Bayside Divas includes mainly a cappella repertoire drawn from a wide range of genre including modern contemporary, traditional African, traditional and contemporary Australian, sacred, English folk and jazz.

Début may be purchased through the Bayside Divas.

Queensland Youth Choir CD Recordings

Colours of Christmas
Recorded in time for release at Christmas 2007, this CD features 18 tracks selected from both the traditional and contemporary Christmas repertoire. It features guest soloists Simon Gallaher (O Holy Night) and Jason Barry-Smith (Blue Christmas), as well a one of Sandra's latest compositions See the Baby Boy.

New Leaves
This recording, directed by Sandra, includes an eclectic mix of works by Australian composers and arrangers that have been commissioned by, or written specially for, the Queensland Youth Choir; have been arranged specifically for QYC; or have not previously been widely recorded in Australia.

Two arrangements were commissioned especially for the recording. QYC wanted to include new arrangements of a selection of traditional Australian folk music as well as feature those songs that are almost universally recognised as being quintessentially Australian — I Still Call Australia Home, Waltzing Matilda and I am Australian.

While Queensland Youth Choir is passionate about the performance and promotion of Australian music, it also recognises the immense repertoire of choral music that exists worldwide. The choir consequently enjoys exploring a wide variety of choral genres and traditions, as well as facing the challenges of singing in languages other than English. The recording therefore includes three Finnish pieces in order to add just a little more variety to the mix!

Misa Criolla - Navidad Nuestra
Lovers of world music, particularly those with an interest in the music of South America, will be delighted with this the first Australian recording of two works by contemporary Argentinean composer Ariel Ramirez – the Misa Criolla and the Navidad Nuestra.

This recording, also directed by Sandra, features well-known Brisbane singer Jason Barry-Smith, with the Queensland Youth Choir and South American instrumental ensemble Walisuma de los Andes.

The Bilbies' Lament
This recording was produced by the Queensland Youth Choir, as part of its community service program, to raise funds for the Save the Bilby Fund.

Each of the included songs has a special significance in relation to saving the bilby. The words for The Bilbies’ Lament were written by Frank Manthey, one of the “Bilby Brothers” who co-founded the Save the Bilby Fund, and set to music by Sandra Milliken, the Artistic Director of the Queensland Youth Choir. I am Australian — how true of the bilby! Here since the Dreamtime, part of the spirit of this great land and part of the dream we should all share. The Diamantina Drover is a favourite of the other Bilby Brother, Peter McRae, who has spent many years researching the bilby on the banks of the Diamantina River at Astrebla Downs, the only known remaining wild habitat for bilbies in eastern Australia. Down Under was the theme song of the “Australia II” America’s Cup challenge and came to represent the triumph of the Australian spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds — an achievement duplicated by Frank and Peter in the establishment of the bilby captive breeding program and the completion of the “saviour fence” at Currawinya National Park.

All proceeds from the sale of this recording go to support the Save the Bilby Fund.

All recordings may be purchased through the Queensland Youth Choir.

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