They say never perform with animals or children. But what about acrobats? The folk at Southern Cross Soloists are taking a risk doing just that, but it has been done before safely and successfully, so why not?
Their concert Sacred and Profane will be in the Concert Hall at QPAC this Sunday (October 18) at 3pm – and this is where J.S. Bach’s devotion to the sacred meets the delicacy and poise of contemporary circus.
Performers Kathryn and Paul O’Keeffe and director Rowan Heydon-White are acclaimed circus artists, each having toured with performing arts company Circa for more than 10 years, travelling across the world. Circa has performed with classical musicians on numerous occasions, so that’s good news for SXS, which is regarded by many as the shining stars of Australian chamber music.
Firmly established as one of Australia’s pre-eminent classical music ensembles, SXS delivers programs filled with dazzling virtuosity including The SXS Chamber Music Festival on Tamborine Mountain each year. Composed of leading virtuosic soloists from Queensland and Australia, SXS provides dynamic world-class musical experiences for audiences of all ages. And SXS has a happy knack of presenting very creative programming.
For this weekend’s concert the acrobats join the musicians of Southern Cross Soloists for a one-of-a kind collaboration, where intimate solos by Bach are interlaced with graceful circus motions. Next the irreverent spirit of Shostakovich is surrounded by the delight and whimsy of traditional circus performance, celebrating humanity’s messy splendour. Elena Kats-Chernin’s Russian Rag also features and David Lang’s piece, these broken wings, closes the performance.
SXS artistic director and flautist Tim Munro says the program aims to mix the worlds of music and circus.
“Brisbane has such a phenomenal circus tradition, partially thanks to the world-class work of Circa,” Munro says. “And, in fact, all of the artists we are working with are Circa alums. One aspect of Circa’s work that is unique is its connection with classical music and classical musicians. They have often worked with world-class musicians playing alongside them.
“We thought that we would take that a step further. Not just playing alongside them but actively engaged with these circus performers. So, while I play a movement of a Bach partita for solo flute, my body is tossed this way and that. Not in any kind of “show-offy” way, but very much connecting to the energy and creativity of the music itself.
“It is a totally new sort of collaboration, and it has been amazing to work with our director, Rowan Heydon-White. Ro understands music in a way that illuminates different aspects of the music, which takes the delicate balance of the sounds and connects it to the delicate balance of bodies. She is thoughtful and creative and brings something totally new to the music.
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“This program contrasts the musical worlds of two kinds of circus. We have traditional circus, with its juggling and unicycles and rambunctiousness, illuminated in the wild and joyfully unhinged, profane music of Dmitri Shostakovich. And we have contemporary circus, which can feel more like ballet, which is illuminated (and illuminates) the sacred beauty of Bach’s music. There it is: Sacred and Profane.”
Sit back, hold your breath and watch how this plays out. Should be fun. I mean, what could go wrong?
Sacred and Profane, Concert Hall, QPAC, October 18, 3pm.
qpac.com.au/whats-on/2026/southern-cross-soloists-sacred-and-profane
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