2015CONCERT SERIES

‘...singing for Auckland since 1855’

“Without music, life would be a mistake” wrote Friedrich Nietzsche, while the French writer Victor Hugo said “Music

expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent”. For the members of Auckland Choral, and the audiences who come to listen to us, those facts are inescapable. We revel in the joy that music brings to us, and the way it touches each and every person who experiences it.

For 160 years Auckland Choral has been an essential part of the Auckland arts scene. Bringing to the city the great classics, alongside brand new exciting pieces, the choir continues to offer you the very best in symphonic choral music. In 2015 Auckland Choral has a varied line-up of music from the Baroque splendour of Handel (two of his greatest oratorios, including our annual Messiah performances) through to the jazz and gospel stylings of Missa Gaia. Along the way there’s Beethoven’s masterpiece Missa Solemnis with a

group of international soloists, and a brand new work from New Zealander Anthony Ritchie.

We would love to see you at our concerts so you can experience the great joys and the aural splendours that are the art of choral music. We can promise you an evening you won’t forget and an experience you will treasure forever. I encourage you to subscribe to our whole programme to enjoy some of the world’s greatest music. Come and join us for a feast of music: Auckland Choral - singing for Auckland!

David HamiltonPresidentAuckland Choral

HandelIsrael in egypt

Tuesday 10 March 8.00pm Holy Trinity Cathedral

anTHOnY RITCHIe lullabies (world premiere)PaUl WInTeR Missa Gaia

Saturday 6 June 7.30pm Holy Trinity Cathedral

BeeTHOVen Missa Solemnis

Saturday 31 October 7.30pm Auckland Town Hall

Handel Messiah

Monday 14 December Tuesday 15 December 7.30pm Auckland Town Hall

One

TWO

THRee

FOUR

Uwe Grodd, condUctor Atchison FonG sky-LUcAs

LAtU wiLson kUbiAk University oF AUckLAnd symphony orchestrA

briAn LAw, condUctor bAiLey roxbUrGh

pipers sinFoniA ST CuTHBeRT’S COlleGe SONG SquAD

& JuNIOR BlACk WATCH SINGeRS

Uwe Grodd, condUctor Leese dArk o’neiLL sneLL

AUckLAnd phiLhArmoniA orchestrA

Uwe Grodd, condUctor devoe thompson hAmiLton sneLL

pipers sinFoniA

ISRAELIN

EGYPT

HANDel

Tuesday 10 March 8.00pm Holy Trinity Cathedral

Morag Atchison, SopranoDilys Fong, Alto Dean Sky-lucas, Countertenor Manase latu, Tenor Benson Wilson, Bass Ben kubiak, Bass

Auckland Choraluniversity of Auckland Symphony Orchestrauwe Grodd, Conductor

‘Handel understands effect better than any of us; when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.’Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

It’s no secret that Auckland Choral enjoys the epic works of Handel; after all, we have sung Messiah since 1856! We open our season with the powerful Israel in egypt. A precursor to Messiah, the work celebrates the Israelites’ escape by the parting of the Red Sea. In telling this tale, Handel draws on his considerable cache of choral skills with evocative fugues, antiphonal double choirs, thunderous choral homophony; he even portrays leaping frogs through word painting, where music imitates the imagery of the text.

It is a privilege to work with so much talent from the university of Auckland. Tonight the university of Auckland Symphony Orchestra accompanies Auckland Choral, along with a fantastic line-up of well-established and young soloists, including Morag Atchison, soprano and Dean Sky-lucas, countertenor.

Tickets are available at eventfinder.co.nz or phone 0800 111 999Prices $44–$49 concessions available

One

MISSAGAIA

PAul WINTeR

ANTHONy RITCHIe

LULLABIESWORlD PReMIeRe

Saturday 6 June 7.30pm Holy Trinity Cathedral

emma Roxburgh, SopranoJennine Bailey, Soprano Auckland ChoralSt Cuthbert’s College Song Squad & Junior Black Watch Singers Brian law, ConductorPipers Sinfonia: Alison Dunlop, OboeSarah Spence, CelloRoger Manins, Soprano SaxophoneOlivier Holland, Acoustic BassRon Samson, Drums kevin Field, Piano

‘One of auckland Choral’s most standout performances in 28 years’John Stevenson, choir member

Paul Winter’s radical Missa Gaia (earth Mass) adeptly combines a variety of genres to create a musical spectacle that appeals to all. Premiered in 1981, it is a 20th century interpretation of the Mass, embracing the many voices of the earth, from jazz to the sounds of wolf, whale and lion. Conductor Brian law is synonymous with the Missa Gaia and Auckland Choral is very excited to perform this work under his baton.

As an organisation dedicated to New Zealand music, we open this concert with a new commission from New Zealand composer Anthony Ritchie. Anthony is well-known at home and abroad and produces works that are engaging, energetic and beautifully crafted – qualities this new work for soprano, girls’ choir, chorus and organ achieves superbly.

Tickets are available at eventfinder.co.nz or phone 0800 111 999Prices $44–$49 concessions available

ANTHONy RITCHIe

TWO

WORlD PReMIeRe

MISSASOLEMNIS

BeeTHOVeN

Saturday 31 October 7.30pm Auckland Town Hall

Anna leese, SopranoJacqueline Dark, Mezzo-SopranoSimon O’Neill, TenorMartin Snell, BassAuckland ChoralAuckland Philharmonia Orchestra uwe Grodd, Conductor

‘Simon O’neill is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade’The Telegraph

Auckland Choral is thrilled to welcome Simon O’Neill to perform alongside an outstanding line-up of soloists. Fellow New Zealanders Anna leese and Martin Snell, along with Australian Jacqueline Dark, will join Simon and the superb Auckland Philharmonia for our Gala concert of 2015.

Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis was composed from the heart. Bold, passionate and challenging, Beethoven took inspiration from Handel’s Messiah to produce one of the greatest choral masterpieces of all time. Join us for what will be a choral spectacular.

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.co.nz or phone 09 970 9700Prices $39–$108 concessions available

BeeTHOVeN

THRee

HANDel

FOURMonday 14 December 7.30pm Tuesday 15 December 7.30pm

Auckland Town Hall

Marlena Devoe, SopranoWendy Dawn Thompson, Mezzo-SopranoDavid Hamilton, TenorMartin Snell, BassAuckland ChoralPipers Sinfoniauwe Grodd, Conductor

A ‘hit’ from its first performance in Dublin in 1742, Handel’s Messiah is performed by choral groups large and small around the globe every year and remains the most popular oratorio of all time. Whether you are hearing it for the first time or for the fiftieth time, the work never fails to move its audience as it retells the most famous story of all time.

Christmas isn’t Christmas without Auckland Choral’s Messiah under the baton of the effervescent uwe Grodd.

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.co.nz or phone 09 970 9700Prices $34–$89 concessions available

Auckland Choral has a distinguished place in the musical life of New Zealand.

New settler Joseph Brown, a professional musician from the english town of Windsor, formed Auckland Choral in 1855 and the group performed under the musical direction of Carl Gustav Schmitt from Germany. Its first home was Symonds Street’s Choral Hall where for the next half century they gave concerts that featured many of the great works. On 19 December 1911 the choir sang in the Auckland Town Hall’s opening concert, and so established itself as the region’s preeminent symphonic community choir.

During its unique 160-year history Auckland Choral has entertained, challenged and upheld the best of musical traditions including world premieres of contemporary works especially commissioned for the choir by Music Director and conductor Professor uwe Grodd to the much-loved Christmas perennial, Handel’s Messiah.

This award-winning group continues to seamlessly blend artistic excellence, professional polish and community spirit in their performances and is proud to continue to play a significant role in Auckland’s arts scene.

Recent performance highlights include Verdi’s Requiem, elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, A Requiem by German composer Michael Renhart, Anthem for Doomed youth specially written for Auckland Choral by NZ composer David Hamilton and Haydn’s Mass in Time of War. The 2014 performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony received great acclaim.

“Auckland Choral ... sang with a fire that has marked their singing since uwe Grodd became their music director.” NZ listener 6 July 2013

‘...singing for Auckland since 1855’

mUsic director Uwe Grodd

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Date for Handel Messiah: 14 Dec 15 Dec

Town Hall seats: Stalls Circle Balcony

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photo oF AUckLAnd chorAL by iAin And JoAnne bremner

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