St Margaret’s Church Debuts New Concert Event 

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Written By Alyssa Mackay

For the first time, the historic St Margaret’s Church will welcome music lovers for a unique concert experience – Sunday Serenade in Sandgate. 

On 10 November, Hungarian-born soprano Judit Molnar and violinist Frank Fodor will perform an array of arias, spanning from Puccini’s operas to popular Broadway tunes and contemporary favourites. 

Mike Donaldson, the incumbent priest of St Margaret’s, said he had long believed the church could be a perfect location for prestigious concerts. 

“To host artists of such calibre for our inaugural concert is truly exciting and we can’t wait to share this experience with the community,” he said. 

“The parish looks forward to strong support from the community in the hope that we can host further concerts next year on a regular basis.” 

World-Class Performers and a Unique Musical Journey

Judit Molnar and Frank Fodor

Judit Molnar, who has graced the stage as a soloist with prestigious orchestras such as the North-Hungarian Symphony Orchestra, the BBZI Symphony Orchestra and Vienna’s Pop Orchestra, moved to Australia in 2011. She performed in Melbourne with Opera Australia before moving to Brisbane and participating in the Music By the Sea Festival. 

“One of my first performances in Brisbane was in the Sandgate Town Hall as part of the festival and I returned to do an opera there as well,” Judit said. “I have very good memories of the warm audience in Sandgate and I am really looking forward to getting back and singing to the Sandgate audience again.” 

Frank has captivated audiences worldwide, performing at iconic venues like the Sydney Opera House and London’s Royal Albert Hall. He and Judit met on stage nine years ago while she was performing for the Underground Opera Company. 

“It went so well we got married five years ago,” Judit said. “We teamed up as a musical couple as well, (now) as Strauss in da’ Haus and this is the repertoire we usually play – Viennese, classical light opera arias, very famous violin solos that everybody loves like Blue Danube and Broadway and movie songs.”   

Sunday Serenade in Sandgate will also include afternoon tea in the recently renovated Parish Centre, which dates back to 1891. 

Producer from The Michael Weston Organisation, Darryl Burrows said he was thrilled to present top-tier entertainment in such a lovely venue. 

“St Margaret’s Church provides an intimate setting, creating an ideal atmosphere for audiences to connect with world-class performers,” he said. 

Tickets are $38 and pre-booking is essential. Book at www.eventbrite.com.au and search for ‘Sunday Serenade in Sandgate’.  

Sunday Serenade in Sandgate

  • Sunday, 10 November, 2.30pm-4.30pm 
  • St Margaret’s Church 
  • 58 Rainbow Street, Sandgate

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