Messiah, 25 November 2023. Photo: Ian Thomson |
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Choir’s best-ever ‘Messiah’ a treat
Monday, November 27, 2023
A rite that endures for good reason
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.
Monday, December 7, 2020
Outstanding programme to celebrate Christmas
Photo by Ian Thomson |
Rejoice! Music for Christmas
Review by Ihlara McIndoe for The Wave, 7 December 2020.
Monday, November 30, 2020
Seasonal celebration from City Choir
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Sung and Played from the Heart
Three shorter pieces of accessible music by living composers made up the programme’s first half. In Norwegian-born Ola Gjeilo’s Song of the Universal, ably sung by all the women’s voices supported by the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra’s strings (concertmaster: Tessa Petersen) and pianist Sandra Crawshaw, alternating slow and fast sections brought out the ecstatic, aspirational quality of Walt Whitman’s poem. By contrast, in New Zealander Christopher Marshall’s more complex Pastorale – a setting of Psalm 23 for soprano solo and men’s voices with specially arranged accompaniment of strings, organ (David Burchell) and percussion – the prevailing mood was consolatory, albeit punctuated by dramatic outbursts which tested both the choir and the soloist (soprano Caroline Burchell) to the utmost, as well as assistant conductor Mark Anderson on the podium. Then came Latvian Pēteris Vasks’ Dona nobis pacem for four-part choir, strings and organ (Johnny Mottershead) – a highly effective final item, where the mostly slow-moving music’s austere diatonic language provided a series of cumulative build-ups of tension and excitement before the peaceful ending, and where conductor Burchell – now back on the podium – achieved an excellent choral blend throughout.
In his hands, too, the concert’s main work, Fauré’s Requiem, received a most sensitive and stylish interpretation. The crystalline radiance of soprano Caroline Burchell in the Pie Jesu and the darker, more anguished tones of baritone Scott Bezett in the Offertorium and the Libera me were particularly noteworthy, and the choir coped well with the subtleties of the composer’s chromatically-enhanced harmonic language. The orchestra’s lower strings (Fauré wanted no violins except for a violin solo in the Sanctus) combined with organ, horns and harp to give unfailingly appropriate support to the choir’s flowing lines, with well-judged dramatic irruptions by the horns for ‘Hosanna’ in the Sanctus and the ‘Dies Irae’ section of the Libera me, and delicious arpeggios on the organ for the In Paradisum.
Beethoven inscribed on the manuscript of his Missa solemnis these words: “From the heart – may it go back – to the heart.” The capacity audience’s response to all the items in this concert showed how deeply they felt that every musician who sang or played in this moving and memorable event did so wholeheartedly, thereby making a worthy contribution to the maintenance of true human values in a world that sorely needs them.
Review by Donald Cullington, 2 August 2020
Photo: Ian Thomson
Saturday, August 1, 2020
Messages of peace, hope and comfort
Songs for Humanity
City Choir Dunedin
Knox Church, 1 August 2020
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Inspired and uplifting performance
Tuesday 10 December 2019, Dunedin Town Hall
This work, composed in 1741, comprises a mammoth meditation on the Christian message, with dramatic interludes. Its many contrasts of texture, dynamics and scoring demand great sensitivity and flexibility from all those on stage, but smooth follow-throughs -- obviously resulting from much careful rehearsal -- always ensured a real sense of continuity and held the large audience's attention.
Soloists Rebecca Ryan (soprano), Tessa Romano (alto), Andrew Grenon (tenor) and Joel Amosa (bass) all gave sterling performances in their different ways, though Romano's dulcet tones often failed to carry in the large hall.
Especially impressive were Grenon's expressive ornaments in 'Comfort ye', Ryan's bright delivery of 'Rejoice greatly', and Amosa's stentorian 'The trumpet shall sound' coupled with Ralph Miller's silvery trumpet obbligato.
But it was the choir's part in this great work that brought it most to life for the audience -- they even burst into applause after the 'Hallelujah' chorus! If aggressiveness was needed (in 'He trusted in God'), the choir gave it; if florid counterpoint (in 'His yoke was easy' -- ironically, one of the hardest choruses to sing) was called for, they produced it. Best of all were three choruses sung from memory -- 'Glory to God', 'Lift up your heads' and 'Since by man came death'.
The Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, led by Miranda Adams, added greatly to the performance's strength and seamlessness, with Burchell's well-chosen tempos for the set-pieces always firmly established.
And the continuo group -- cellist David Murray and organist Johnny Mottershead, with Burchell on harpsichord -- were always at the ready for the recitatives.
Not just a pre-Christmas treat, then, but a true treasure!
Reviewed by Donald Cullington, The Star, 12 December 2019.
Pre-Christmas tradition at town hall - hallelujah!
Tuesday 10 December 2019, Dunedin Town Hall
Review by Elizabeth Bouman, Otago Daily Times 12 December 2019.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Bach performance 'fantastic'
St Matthew Passion - An Epic Musical Creation
Sunday 31 March, Dunedin Town Hall
Brenda Harwood, The Star, Thursday 4 April 2019
Monday, April 1, 2019
Massive musical undertaking delights
St Matthew Passion - An Epic Musical Creation
Sunday 31 March, Dunedin Town Hall
St Matthew Passion, by JS Bach, is a deeply moving oratorio requiring dramatic performances from all. Yesterday's performance in Dunedin Town Hall, conducted by David Burchell, showcased the choral majesty of Bach's music in a marathon of energy and passion.
This is not an easy work, demanding almost three hours' interpretation of emotional musical intensity, expressed in German, a foreign language to most of the performers.
The text outlines Christ's final days from various perspectives, with a narrator (Evangelist - Iain Tetley), Jesus (Scott Bezett) and other principal soloists - Lois Johnston (soprano), Claire Barton (contralto), Andrew Grenon (tenor) and Malcolm Leitch (bass) taking on different roles and characters to advance the storyline between full choral anthems from combined choirs - City Choir Dunedin, Christchurch City Choir, and Forte (Fairfield School) who added an extra timbre to harmonic textures of the big anthems in Part 1.
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra provided a 30-piece baroque orchestra, including three keyboard continuo performers, two oboes d'amore adding impressive gilding to some of the vocal solos, and a viola da gamba.
The overall performance was a credit to all participating. However, with the 160-voice choir, musical articulation and clarity of German was sometimes needy, but their balance, intonation, quality of tone and expression was excellent.
Tetley possesses a crisp clear tenor, with counter-tenor colouring, which is ideal for ``story-telling''.
Bezett, at age 21, was outstanding in his interpretation of the role of Jesus. His voice carried well, reflecting sound technique and hours of preparation.
Johnston and Barton often sing together, and the fine balance for their duet was a highlight.
Enthusiastic prolonged applause and endless comments of approval rewarded the performance.
Review in the ODT, 1 April 2019, by Elizabeth Bouman
Letters to the Editor of the Otago Daily Times
Bravo, maestros
A big thank-you to City Choir Dunedin, the six soloists and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, and of course the conductor David Burchell for the magnificent performance of the St Matthew Passion.
The dramatic music stirred the emotions, and I had tears in my eyes when the evangelist raises his voice when he imitates the crowing of the rooster.
But this is not an opera but church music which can inspire the listener to deep contemplation. So, please audience, do not applaud at the end of the performance. Bouquets of flowers to the conductor and soloists seem out of place, as this is not a concert.
Heinke Sommer-Matheson, Maori Hill, 3 April 2019
Marvellous music
I write to express deep appreciation of the performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion at Dunedin Town Hall on Sunday, 31 March. Grateful thanks are due to the combined choirs, the orchestra and soloists for heartfelt and disciplined music making.
That five cathedral organists were present says much for the respect we all give to David Burchell, conductor, Tessa Petersen, concertmaster, and all involved. The outstanding playing of Polly Sussex, viola da gamba, carried throughout the magnificent town hall and added authenticity.
Bach gives us much to contemplate in this Passiontide season, as for example when his music adorns the text: "As long as life lasts, we have a thousand thanks for Christ's sufferings, for having valued so highly the salvation of our souls." And out of suffering will soon come the joy and miracle of Easter Day!
Dr Raymond White, Invercargill, 8 April 2019
Monday, October 8, 2018
Jazz Café lets locals show and flex talent
Jazz Café - Big choir! Big band! Big night out!
Saturday 6 October 2018, Dunedin Town Hall
Tables, candles, smoky downlights, a dance floor and streamers transformed the Dunedin Town Hall for City Choir Dunedin’s “Jazz Café”.
Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Dunedin Youth Choir and dancers Swing Riot established and maintained the mood during a long evening.
Though the audience numbers dwindled [after three hours] it left them In the Mood for another such enjoyable venture.
Reviewed by Marian Poole, Otago Daily Times, 8 October 2018.