Knox Church
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Performance exquisitely delivered
Knox Church
City Choir takes on contemporary fare
City Choir Dunedin, at present with about 80 singers directed by David Burchell, gave a concert at Knox Church on Saturday evening.
The choir’s repertoire is usually sacred, chosen from oratorios or traditional choral favourites, but on this occasion items in the programme entitled "Darkness and Light" were composed in the past 30 years and possibly not all to everyone’s taste. However, a mixed diet is good for all, and contemporary classical music can be challenging for both choir and audience alike.
A short early Renaissance hymn by Thomas Tallis preceded O Radiant Dawn, by Scottish composer James MacMillan (1959), which impressed with good balance, dynamic contrast and a nicely tailored final Amen.
Guest accompanist Christchurch organist Sea-am Thompson’s contribution was Clair de Lune, by Louis Vierne, a rather long meandering piece, well-played by this exceptionally talented young musician and certainly titled to fit the theme.
A 30-minute work with Latin text composed in 1997 by Lauridsen (1943) followed. This was a difficult and challenging five-movement sacred work, based mainly on traditional mass form and text. The organ opened with a low growling intro then O Nata Lux achieved well-balanced a capella harmony, before the more animated accompanied Veni, Sancte Spiritus and Agnus Dei - Lux Aeterna, which rambled somewhat until achieving an excellently controlled Alleluia, Amen soft choral fade-out.
After the interval, Chris Artley’s Matariki preceded a more animated Dark Night of the Soul (Gjeilo 1978) with pulsating 7/8 rhythm, soprano and string obligato (Tessa Petersen and Ngaruaroha Martin, violins, Katrina Sharples, viola, and Heleen du Plessis, cello).
A short contemplative organ solo by Briggs (1991) followed, then finally came a real highlight, Luminous Night of the Soul (Gjeilo). A sonorous cello opening from du Plessis welcomed an exquisite soundscape section from female voices.
Pleasing lyricism with excellent piano prominence (Sandra Crawshaw) continued throughout, and choral harmony with instrumental obligato gilding was indeed exceptional.
Review by Elizabeth Bouman, Otago Daily Times, 14 April 2025
Monday, December 9, 2024
French-themed concert display of choral strength
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Sunday, August 25, 2024
Requiem a first-rate concert
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Enchanting Visions of Heaven
Visions of Heaven
Friday 28 June 2024, St Paul's Cathedral
Far, far away one mystery greetsAnother vast and high,The infinite of waters meetsThe infinite of sky.
Monday, July 1, 2024
Stellar concert honours Matariki
Visions of Heaven
Friday 28 June 2024, St Paul's Cathedral
"It is fabulous to have a full cathedral . . .to celebrate Matariki and the organ festival," conductor David Burchell said.
Edward C. Bairstow’s Blessed City, Heavenly Salem followed, Christchurch organist Jeremy Woodside interpreting well to provide an excellent balance between organ, choir and soloists before Wellington organ student Max Toth took the console to present the charming and delicate In Paradisum by Theodore Dubois.
In a change of pace, soloists Cathy Sim (soprano), Alex McAdam (tenor) and John McAdam (bass) returned with the choir for Josef Haydn’s familiar The Heavens are Telling.
Woodside’s rendition of Apollo was an audience favourite, the organist presenting with aplomb this very demanding and extremely dramatic work by James Whitbourn, who died earlier this year.
Apollo is a remarkable composition, showing just what an organ can do, the instrument covering every aspect of the 1968 moon mission, from ear-blasting lift-off to the Genesis creation reading by the three astronauts on board.
In an attractive contrast, CCD presented a popular early 20th century choral work, Edgar Bainton’s And I Saw a New Heaven, then Sea-am Thompson, of Christchurch, played the stately and rather sombre Le Banquet Celeste by Olivier Messiaen before Burchell handed the baton to Mark Anderson.
Anderson, well-known as timpanist with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, conducted the choir while Burchell — who had arranged the orchestral work for the organ — played David Hamilton’s beautiful The Stars Above the Sea. Finally, marking the end of the concert, the choir presented unaccompanied Chris Artley’s Matariki, which as Burchell said, "rightly has become very popular since it was composed in 2020".
Burchell excels at assembling well-balanced programmes to highlight performers’ talents and Visions of Heaven was no exception. A stellar concert.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Rousing performance of Bach classic
Bach's St John Passion
City Choir Dunedin, Dunedin Town Hall
Sunday 24 March 2024
Monday, March 25, 2024
Passion still enthralling after 300 years
Bach's St John Passion
City Choir Dunedin, Dunedin Town Hall
Sunday 24 March 2024
Review by Judy Bellingham, Otago Daily Times 25 March 2024
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Choir’s best-ever ‘Messiah’ a treat
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Messiah, 25 November 2023. Photo: Ian Thomson |
Monday, November 27, 2023
A rite that endures for good reason
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Photo: Ian Thomson 25 November 2023 |
Messiah, City Choir Dunedin and Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Dunedin TownHall, Saturday, November 25, 2023.
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Choir rises to the occasion for concert
Alleluia! Music for Eastertide
Dunedin City Choir Saturday, 22 April 2023, Knox Church
Reviewed by GILLIAN VINE for The Star, 27 April 2023
Monday, April 24, 2023
Highlights shine
Alleluia! Music for Eastertide
Saturday 22 April 2023, Knox Church
Review by Marian Poole, Otago Daily Times, 24 April 2023
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Contrasting but complementary works beautifully performed
Review by Brenda Harwood, The Star, 1 December 2022.
Monday, November 28, 2022
Strong performance of popular requiem
Review by Elizabeth Bouman, Otago Daily Times, 28 November 2022.
Monday, August 29, 2022
Excellent performance from choir and musicians
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Stellar soloists make beloved classic sing
Handel's Messiah
Tuesday 7 December 2021, Dunedin Town Hall
City Choir Dunedin, four fine soloists and Dunedin Symphony Orchestra turned in stellar performances at the choir's two-yearly presentation of Handel's Messiah on Tuesday evening.
Messiah: Soloists cap splendid showing
Handel's Messiah
Tuesday 7 December 2021, Dunedin Town Hall
Handel could never have imagined Messiah, his oratorio written in 1741, would live on through generations, becoming such a popular work throughout the world, especially on the Christian calendar, where it is customary to perform it before Christmas.Wednesday, June 2, 2021
An interesting and well-designed affair
Applaud! Women in Music
Saturday 29 May 7:30 pm, Knox Church
City Choir Dunedin’s latest concert, “Applaud! Women in Music” was an interesting and well- designed affair. The considerable use of soloists Olivia Pike (soprano), Tessa Romano (mezzo- soprano), and Benjamin Madden (tenor) was a smart choice and allowed the choir to focus on refining a smaller percentage of the overall programme.
Martines’ Laudate Pueri Dominum, conducted by Mark Anderson, featured all three soloists and after a rousing intro from David Burchell (organ), the choir we’re away and swiftly followed by Pike and Romano’s first accomplished flourishes of the evening. The trio sang well as an ensemble during Nell’ odo rifero chiaro oriente and their physical and harmonic interactions seemed a natural extension of the text. This continued into Pike and Romano’s Certe alme misere and was my highlight of the work, with other special mentions to Madden’s vocal acrobatics in Qual alto principe and the choir’s negotiation of the tricky fugue, Di tutti popoli.
The duo of Pike and Romano impressed again with Strozzi’s Mi ferte, oh Begli occhi, also accompanied by Burchell on organ. I have a soft spot for Strozzi and found this rendition to be suitably vocally and physically dramatic as to reflect the typically over-the-top, “I’ll die if you don’t love me” prose of the era. And then we reached the Britten. Notwithstanding Burchell’s justification, I am still not completely convinced of the inclusion of his Hymn to St. Cecilia in a programme so focussed on female composition. However, I understand the underpinning theme of Cecilia being the patron saint of music. I was pleasantly surprised by how successfully the choir negotiated Britten’s harmonic writing – theoretically, it should have been more difficult but they were much more settled than in the Martines. Unfortunately, much of the English text was lost, with perhaps this setting being more suitable for a smaller ensemble. Solos from within the choir were delivered with confidence, notably from Sophie Gangl. Madden again stepped up to the plate and was appropriately fanfare-like, providing the classic tenor/trumpet comparison in the best possible way.
This was followed by a bracket of African-American composers Florence Price and Betty Jackson King – Romano’s time to shine and shine she did. I particularly enjoyed Price’s An April Day but all three songs were delivered with charisma. Word-painting is a talent and one which Romano possesses in abundance. To close the first half, Pike was welcomed back to join the sopranos and altos of the choir for Chaminade’s Ronde du Crépuscule, with Sandra Crawshaw accompanying. Pike soared above the chorus as they spun tales of enchanted fairy worlds in murmuring utterances.
After a brief interval, the choir returned with Tamsin Jones’ Von Herzen, a setting of the preface Beethoven used for his Missa Solemnis. Antiphonal phrasing allowed the choir to enjoy the interplay between voice parts. Continuing the Germanic theme, Pike’s bracket consisted of a Lang lied, Den Abschied schnell genommen, which had excellent diction and energy, and Beach’s I send my heart up to thee. This allowed a showcase of legato and phrasing, with lovely bloom into the upper register from Pike.
A selection of seven of fourteen poems from Felicia Edgecombe’s Shaky Places showed a variety of genres for the choir and also provided them with a chance to explore New Zealand experiences in musical settings. The most successful movements were Once in a while, where the choir demonstrated a more delicate touch; Twelve moon lines, which Romano led through strong blues inspiration, allowing the choir to begin to leave their classical comfort zone; and Erebus, a beautiful portrayal of what is obviously highly sensitive subject matter and quite potentially the most moving piece of the evening. Febriani Idrus (flute) and Sophie Hamer (cello) excelled in Erebus and their addition was transformative. To close, a strong performance of Rosephanye Powell’s The Word was God, and did they perhaps save their best-executed piece for last?
It is not every day that one gets to attend an almost entirely female-composed programme – and this was a welcomed change. In some of my previous remarks, I have specifically mentioned diversity in programming and how this needs to be stretched further. If this concert is the result, then I will continue to make noise because this is a very good start. City Choir Dunedin also proved themselves perfectly capable of handling and delivering contemporary and twentieth-century works that, in the past, may have been put in the “not our cup of tea” basket. Overall, a very pleasing concert and I look forward to seeing what boundaries are pushed next!
Review by Courtney Hickmott, The Wave, 1 June 2021.
Monday, May 31, 2021
Women soloists deliver intricate harmonies
Applaud! Women in Music
Saturday 29 May 7:30 pm, Knox Church
A near-capacity audience in a comfortably warm Knox Church heard a programme devised by conductor and accompanist, David Burchell.
He was assisted in the long overdue recognition of some remarkable talent by the City Dunedin Choir, guest conductor Mark Anderson, and pianist Sandra Crawshaw and guest soloists Olivia Pike, soprano, Tessa Romano, mezzo, and tenor Benjamin Madden, to celebrate female composers and artists.
The notable exception to Burchell’s mission was Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia, set to W.H. Auden’s poem, which asks its heroine to “wear her [marital] tribulations like a rose”, valorising the ‘‘virtue’’ of being long-suffering.
Nonetheless, it is an excellent and challenging piece of a cappella music that delves gently into modal idioms. The choir and its soloists performed it exceptionally well despite a somewhat inconstant flow of confidence.
Romano and Pike gave a powerful performance of Barbara Strozzi’s Mi ferrite, oh Begli occhi. They lent the work’s intricate harmonies an astonishing beauty.
Cecile Chaminade’s Ronde du Crepuscule and Amy Beach’s I send my heart up to thee highlighted Olivia Pike’s strength in high, clear held tones which soared to magnificent effect over the choir in the former and over the piano in the latter.
A selection from Felicia Edgecombe’s Shaky Places, which sets the works of (predominantly) male New Zealand poets, followed. Some worked — others didn’t. Sam Hunt’s bluesy Twelve Moon Lines, Bill Manhire’s atmospheric Erebus and Brian Turner’s awed Once in a While stood out for the way in which the music enhanced the words. Jeffrey Paparoa Holman’s After the Tremor had some beautiful moments while Lauris Edmond’s Tuatara undermined the poem’s allusion to the creature’s stoic profile.
Rosephanye Powell’s uplifting gospel The Word was God was performed with wonderful attention to its infectious rhythmic pulse.
Review by Marion Poole, Otago Daily Times, 31 May 2021.