Concert Review: Nocturne – Glam Adelaide

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Uplifting, moving, and glorious

Presented by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 
Reviewed 6 December 2025

The ASO’s Sanctuary Series provides a unique experience. 

Held in smaller venues such as the lovely Grainger Studio, these shorter concerts are on at civilized times like early evening, or mid-morning, and provide much of the seating in the form of yoga mats. Chairs are also provided for those of us who fear getting back up off a yoga mat. In these concerts, the music is still vitally important, but in a less “performative” way. There is no applause, no speaking from performers or audience, and a generally meditative atmosphere is encouraged. Music is curated to be moving, yet not too loud, containing no sudden noises likely to startle (bang goes Mahler), and featuring shorter pieces such as tone poems and the like. The title and composer of each piece is shown on a screen. 

The final Sanctuary Series for this year was entitled Nocturne. It opened with a Sibelius piece from his Op 44 Death, which consists of incidental music for Arvid Järnefelt’s play of the same name. This was Op 44 no. 2 Scene with Cranes. An exquisite piece with which to start the evening. It was also a taster for next year’s ASO program, when they will be regaling us with all of Sibelius’s symphonies. The program included two pieces by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov: Prayer for Ukraine, and The Messenger – 1996. Also featured twice was contemporary American composer, Caroline Shaw. Her in manus tuas was the keystone piece for the evening, featuring violist Justin Julian. Also in the mix were Scriabin and Copland. Finally taking us out was Arvo Pärt Fratres. 

Under the baton of conductor Ingrid Martin, the orchestra delivered as always. Although a quieter, almost demure performance, the pieces curated for this evening were challenging, exciting, and individual, yet still managed to work well as a whole: a testament to the curation that goes into these concerts. 

You’d think that lying on a yoga mat, listening to atmospheric music, would send you off to sleep. And you’d be right! One gentleman on Friday night did start snoring, but a gentle, discreet, nudge from one of the front-of-house staff brought him back from the brink. The Sanctuary Series is a very different experience. Even at the end, we are asked not to applaud, to stay in our own heads for a while, and then to leave quietly. For someone used to clapping, stomping, and whooping at the end of a concert, this was both disconcerting (pardon the pun) and liberating. 

If you are new to orchestral music, or know someone who wants to dip their toe in, then a Sanctuary Series might be just the thing, especially as they only last for about an hour. For those of us old hands, this is an extraordinary experience, and a new approach to taking in live music. 

I for one will be heading to more of these next year. 

But I still won’t be lying on a yoga mat!

Reviewed by Tracey Korsten

Venue:  Grainger Studio
Season:  Finished

Aaron Copland, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Aleksandr Scriabin, Arvo Pärt, Caroline Shaw, Grainger Studio, Ingrid Martin, Jean Sibelius, Justin Julian, Nocturne, Sanctuary Series, Valentin Silvestrov