The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Sanctuary Series lives up to its name. From the moment you step into the Grainger Studio, the outside world seems to soften and recede. What replaces it is a carefully crafted atmosphere where time slows, distractions fade, and the simple act of listening becomes the main event – a true sonic refuge.
The Sanctuary Series concerts are not a standard concert experience. Audience members can choose between traditional seating or reclining on yoga mats placed close to the musicians (a popular option that sells out quickly). Once the music begins, the usual rituals disappear: no applause, no latecomers or exits, no chatter. The hall sits in near darkness, lit only by the soft glow of music stands.
The result is deeply immersive. Whether you’re a first-time concertgoer or a seasoned listener, the set up invites you to engage with the music in a more personal, almost meditative way.
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A meditative and exploratory program
Of course, atmosphere alone isn’t enough; the program must sustain it. The Sanctuary Series concerts strike a thoughtful balance between familiar favourites and newer, less widely known works. That mix can sometimes test audiences, but with Nordic Lights, it paid off. The program for this latest concert felt cohesive, its variety unfolding naturally rather than competitively, and the audience seemed equally moved by discovery as by recognition.
The repertoire for Nordic Lights – featuring works by contemporary Australian composer Olivia Davies, Jean Sibelius, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Edward Elgar, Max Richter and Samuel Barber – centred on the expressive possibilities of a string orchestra. Across these pieces, you could hear both the shared DNA of the ensemble and the strikingly different ways composers shape sound, emotion and time.
Nuanced performances
Under the direction of Sam Weller, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra navigated these contrasts with clarity and sensitivity. In Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and Barber’s Adagio for Strings, long, singing lines unfolded with warmth and poise, delivering the kind of emotional sweep many listeners cherish. Sibelius’s Rakastava (The Lovers) was handled with care, its shifting ideas drawn together into a coherent and expressive whole.
In more contemporary works, the focus shifted. Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight relies on repetition and restraint, asking players to sustain intensity through subtle changes rather than overt drama. It’s deceptively simple music that demands discipline – and, for those stretched out on yoga mats, just enough alertness to avoid drifting off completely.
Thorvaldsdottir’s Illumine and Davies’s Crystalline explored sound as texture and space rather than melody. Here, the orchestra created evolving soundscapes, where tiny shifts in colour and balance carried the emotional weight. It’s music that rewards close listening but doesn’t require technical knowledge to appreciate – only openness.
Different starting points, similar goals
Throughout, the players of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra met the music’s demands with finesse. Soft, sustained playing, precise ensemble coordination, and careful balance were constant challenges, and the orchestra responded with assurance and nuance. Whether carrying a melody or blending into a shimmering background, each section contributed to a unified, finely controlled sound.
What emerged over the course of the program was a journey – from the lyrical expressiveness of the Romantic tradition to contemporary explorations of sound as ‘atmosphere’. Yet the experience never felt fragmented. Instead, it revealed how different musical languages can lead to a shared goal: creating a space where listeners can reflect, relax and reconnect.
By embracing the Sanctuary Series’ unique format, the audience becomes part of that process. For an hour or so, the usual boundaries between performer and listener blur, and the world outside feels just a little more distant. It’s a rare kind of concert, one that welcomes newcomers while offering seasoned listeners something genuinely fresh.
