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St Monica's Church Moonee Ponds

One of Melbourne most impressive neo-gothic spaces, the enormous sandstone church of St Monica in Mount Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds, provided a host of spatial possibilities for voices moving through the building in changing configurations.

On December 18, 1992, the Astra Choir performed Gregorian chants, mediaeval pilgrim songs with Scottish music for multiple voices by Robert Carver (16th century) and Thea Musgrave (1977) in the church.

St Monica Church is registered as of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.

For 30 years, the concerts of Astra Chamber Music Society have ranged around Melbourne’s architectural environment. Each concert has had a site-specific design that takes advantage of the marvelous visual qualities, spatial possibilities, and acoustic personality of each building. The music, in turn, contributes a new quality to the perception of the buildings, now experienced by audiences as a sounding space - an area where cultural issues from music’s history are traversed, and new ideas in Australian composition are explored.

Large sandstone bricked building centre with tall green leafed tree in the foreground

Photograph - St Monica's Church, Moonee Ponds, Heritage Victoria

Courtesy of Heritage Victoria

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Courtesy of Heritage Victoria

Audio - Astra Chamber Music Society Inc, 'Excerpt from St Monica's Church concert', 1992, Astra Chamber Music Society Inc

Courtesy of Astra Chamber Music Society Inc

'Excerpt from St Monica's Church concert'

[Classical music plays]

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Courtesy of Astra Chamber Music Society Inc

Listen to Excerpt 1: Anonymous Spanish Pilgrim Song, Mariam Matrem (14th C.)

From the concert at St Monica’s Church, Moonee Ponds on Sunday 18 December, 1992.

The Astra Choir conducted by John McCaughey.

For 30 years, the concerts of Astra Chamber Music Society have ranged around Melbourne’s architectural environment. Each concert has had a site-specific design that takes advantage of the marvellous visual qualities, spatial possibilities, and acoustic personality of each building. The music, in turn, contributes a new quality to the perception of the buildings, now experienced by audiences as a sounding space - an area where cultural issues from music’s history are traversed, and new ideas in Australian composition are explored.