2026 Festival Chorus
Jump down to the registration form for choristers wishing to sing in this year’s Festival Chorus.
This year the Festival Chorus is directed by Rowen Fox, a local conductor, composer and singer.
Rowen has been conducting classical and popular community choirs in the Blue Mountains for over a decade. He is the Musical Director of Penrith City Choir, the Phoenix Choir in Blackheath and Chorus Director of the Penrith Symphony Orchestra Festival Chorus. He also conducts the Moo Choir in Warrimoo and, with Christine Wheeler, the Heathens Choir in Blackheath.
Rowen studied composition with Peter Brideoake at the University of Adelaide, and received his Masters degree from the Sydney Conservatorium, studying under Anne Boyd. He specialises in writing vocal and choral music, and music for the theatre and live performance. Rowen discovered an early love of choral singing, and undertook private vocal tuition, as well as additional training under such conductors as Rodney Eichenberger, Carl Crossin, Stephen Mould, Reka Csernyik, & Dr Karen Grylls.
Rowen has conducted opera, instrumental and vocal ensembles, amateur and professional theatre in the Blue Mountains, Sydney and his native Adelaide. As Musical Director of the Phoenix Choir from 2012 to 2022, his performances included several productions for massed choir with orchestra, including Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem for Sing in the Mountains, the Heathens’ Bulgamada and the Blackheath Choir Festival 2014 Combined Choir. During this time, he also formed the Lithgow and Katoomba Community Choirs. Rowen has worked with many other classical and community choirs across the Blue Mountains and Sydney including the Academy Singers and River City Voices.
Program
1. Sure on this Shining Night -Samuel Barber
The Joyful Company of Singers
2. O vos omnes – Pablo Casals
UNT A Cappella Choir
3. Cantique de Jean Racine – Gabriel Faure
unattributed
4. They Call the Wind Maria – Lerner & Loewe, arr. Rowen Fox
Harve Presnell
5. What I Did For Love – Marvin Hamlisch (music), Edward Kleban (lyrics), arr. Rowen Fox
1975 Broadway Cast of A Chorus Line
6. Peace in the Valley – Thomas A. Dorsey
The New Apostolic Church, Cape Town
Notes
Once you register you will receive a password for the resources page where you will find the scores and rehearsal tracks. The 2026 Resources webpage will be added to the website once rehearsal tracks are ready.
We encourage you to attend the rehearsal in the Lower Mountains in early August. There is also a rehearsal in Phillips Hall between 8am and 10am on the Sunday of the festival.,
We will be photographing and possibly video recording the Festival Chorus for our archives and for future publicity.
Blackheath Choir Festival 