Evensong: Avondale Jazz Ensemble

A collaborative performance of sacred jazz-styled music

A collaborative performance of sacred jazz-styled music with Avondale Jazz Ensemble supported by vocal ensemble The Promise and Em & Jarel as part of the 2019 Avondale Concert Series. Evensong is presented by the Conservatorium of Music at Avondale College of Higher Education. Evensong is free but the conservatorium collects a freewill offering to support academic prizes and a scholarship for its students.

Biographies

Avondale Jazz Ensemble formed in 2012 and within a year performed as support for the Adrian Cunningham Quartet. It recorded its debut album, Jesus: HIStory, with Avondale College of Higher Education vocal ensemble The Promise in 2013. The jazz ensemble performed Director David Pudney’s original compositions, which in a musical narrative “re-imagine” the timeless stories of the Gospels, in collaboration with James and John Morrison in 2014. The Promise formed in 2005 and represents the long and significant history of music at Avondale. Its repertoire ranges from the classics to contemporary gospel and jazz. The Promise tours extensively and has recorded five albums, the latest The Promise Songbook, featuring 10 songs commissioned by, composed for, dedicated to and premiered by the vocal ensemble. And as one of the finalists in ABC Classic FM’s Vocal Romp competition, The Promise performed as support for German a cappella ensemble Amarcord. It has also performed with multi-instrumentalist Adrian Cunningham and James and John Morrison and collaborated with Australian vocal ensemble The Song Company. Avondale Conservatorium Director Aleta King is the ensemble’s Artistic Director. Em & Jarel perform as Vintage Season. The songwriting pair have recorded an album of smoothly-crafted jazz guitar voicings and soulful R&B-influenced vocals and perform regularly.