Don't miss the world première of New Zealander Christopher Marshall's For What Can Be More Beautiful?. The work uses texts extolling the wonders of nature.
Christopher Marshall was commissioned to compose a new work for City Choir Dunedin, to be premièred on 23 March 2013. This new work is entitled For What Can Be More Beautiful?.
Christopher Marshall was the Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago for two years from 1994. In 1995, he was awarded the Philip Neill Memorial Prize. In 1996, as a Fulbright Researcher he spent 18 months as composer in residence at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester New York.
Born in Paris in 1956 of New Zealand parents, he grew up and was educated in New Zealand and Australia.
Since 2006, he has been Composer in Residence at the University of Central Florida and, since 2009, has been adjunct Professor of Composition there.
When City Choir Dunedin was seeking a composer for this commission, Karyn Grylls, Artistic Director of Voices NZ Chamber Choir and NZ Youth Choir, said of Chris: “His poignant and seminal work To the Horizon was performed by the Auckland Dorian Choir during New Zealand’s Sesquicentennial Celebrations in 1990. I have also performed many of Chris’s Samoan folk song arrangements and other compositions with my national choirs. His work is always well received by audiences and singers alike.”
And here is what conductor Tecwyn Evans wrote in support of our commission, which was made possible though funding by Creative NZ:
“Christopher Marshall has a proven record as a prolific and successful choral composer. I have conducted and sung many of his works and as a result commissioned Christopher in 1999 to write a new work for my London chamber choir Sounds Wicked. The resulting work, Tangi was extremely well received and left an indelible impression on the performers and audience. Until this day I continue to have people who were involved in the project comment on the experience of singing or hearing Tangi.
“Through his time as Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago Christopher has an association with Dunedin and its choirs.”
Nature's Bounty Saturday 23 March 7:30pm, Knox Church
City Choir has commissioned New Zealander Christopher Marshall to write a new choral work to mark our anniversary year. For What Can Be More Beautiful? uses texts extolling the wonders of nature, including one from 1876 by an early Dunedin seed merchant, William Reid, which gives the piece a distinctive Otago flavour.
Complementing this will be the Choir’s evocative and colourful 1988 commission by Jack Speirs, Cantico del Sole, the ‘Canticle of the Sun’ based on words by St Francis of Assisi.
Celebrating the Choir’s musical heritage we will perform the Victorian masterpiece Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. This oratorio describing the splendours of an American-Indian banquet rivalled Messiah and Elijah in popularity amongst English-speaking choirs in the early decades of the 20th century and was performed at least three times by the Dunedin Choral Society.
These three works combine to create a musical palette which is contemporary, dramatic and romantic – and is a great way for us to begin our year-long celebration.
Soprano - Grace Park and Tenor - Matthew Wilson
with the Southern Sinfonia conducted by David Burchell
We are currently rehearsing the commissioned work by Christopher Marshall, For What Can Be More Beautiful? and the practice resources on this post are made available for choir members. City Choir will perform this work in the "Nature's Bounty" concert on Saturday 23 March, at Knox Church.
For What Can Be More Beautiful - Part 1: Into the garden - Orchestral version
The Last Night of the Proms concert with the Southern Sinfonia is coming up again soon.
Like before, the Choir will be required to sing from memory during the second half of the concert, so here is advance notice of the second half programme, except of course that the national anthems are sung right at the start (also from memory):
God Save the Queen
God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God Save the Queen!
God Defend New Zealand
God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.
E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa
Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.
(Yes, we need to memorise the words for all three verses.)
Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance
Land of Hope and Glory
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!
Rule Britannia
Here the choir sings only the chorus:
Rule Brittania! Brittania rule the waves
Britons never shall be slaves
(Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone)
Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
'Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For days of auld lang syne!
And there's a hand my trusty friend,
And give a hand of thine,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For days of auld lang syne!
Repeat chorus
Haere ra / Po Atarau
Haere ra
te manu tangi pai
E haere ana
koe ki pamamao
Haere ra
ka hoki mai ano
Ki i te tau e tangi atu nei
Now is the hour
when we must say goodbye
Soon you'll be sailing
far across the sea
While you're away
oh, please remember me
When you return you'll find me waiting here
