Sunday, January 1, 2017

2017 Concert Season

The 2017 Concert Season


The Armed Man

Saturday 1 April 7:30 pm
Dunedin Town Hall


DAVID BURCHELL, conductor
CITY CHOIR DUNEDIN
DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Henryk Górecki: Totus tuus
Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace



Lullabies

Saturday 2 September 7:30 pm
Knox Church


DAVID BURCHELL, conductor
CITY CHOIR DUNEDIN
COLUMBA COLLEGE & ST HILDA'S CHOIRS
SOLOISTS: Sophie Morris (soprano), Beth Goulstone (soprano), Alex Lee (baritone)
ORGANIST: Thomas Chatterton

Anthony Ritchie: Lullabies
Duruflé: Requiem



Brahms A German Requiem

Saturday 30 September 7:30 pm
Dunedin Town Hall


CITY CHOIR DUNEDIN
DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

This concert was presented by the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Simon Over, Soprano: Rebecca Ryan, Baritone: Jarvis Dams



Christmas in the Stadium

Saturday 1 December
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

Hosted by Christmas in the Stadium and Acts of Kindness Charitable Trust

DAVID BURCHELL, conductor
CITY CHOIR DUNEDIN
City Choir Dunedin presented a programme of Christmas Carols.
Assistant conductor: Mark Anderson
Accompanists: Roland Storm 



Handel's Messiah

Tuesday 12 December 7:30 pm
Dunedin Town Hall


DAVID BURCHELL, conductor
SOLOISTS: Madeleine Pierard (soprano), Claire Barton (alto), Iain Tetley (tenor), Jared Holt (bass)
CITY CHOIR DUNEDIN
DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA



Christmas @ Otago Museum

Saturday 23 December 1:00 pm
Otago Museum


DAVID BURCHELL, conductor
CITY CHOIR DUNEDIN
City Choir Dunedin presented an hour-long programme of Christmas music at the Otago Museum.
Assistant conductor: Mark Anderson
Accompanists: Roland Storm and David Burchell
Soloist: Caroline Burchell

Monday, October 3, 2016

Ritchie oratorio launched to heart-rending effect

1 October 2016, Dunedin Town Hall. Photo credit: Pieter du Plessis
Gallipoli to the Somme
Saturday 1 October 2016, Dunedin Town Hall

Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Simon Over, performed another 50th anniversary celebration in the Dunedin Town Hall on Saturday evening with a world premiere marking 100 years since the loss of so many New Zealand soldiers at the Battle of the Somme.

Anthony Ritchie’s oratorio Gallipoli to the Somme for orchestra, choir and two soloists drew text from diaries, poems and traditional songs, taking its title from Alexander Aitken’s book of war experiences in the Otago Battalion.

Aitken carried his violin to war with him, and the 55-minute work began with a beautiful lyrical violin solo (Tessa Petersen) setting the mood for an enduring memorial performance by DSO, 120 members of City Choir Dunedin and Southern Youth choir (directed by David Burchell) and Dunedin’s internationally acclaimed soprano Anna Leese and bass Martin Snell.

The choir was superb, rising to every demand of shading and balance, especially in the strong anthems E te ope tuatahi and All the Hills and Vales Along.

Programme text and detailed references enabled the audience to follow the powerful content of this emotional work, as soprano solos farewelled a lover or mourned the loss of three sons.

Train journeys and military action were assigned bass solos.

Declamatory, often unaccompanied solos were all gloriously delivered, emotional and heart-rending.

Noticeable was the ingenious scoring, never too busy or overshadowing text, yet always in character.

Percussion was important throughout.

After the final chord, complete silence held the audience before prolonged applause and standing ovation rewarded this brilliant new work.

Ritchie will be remembered as one of the greatest composers of his time. There were three other items.

Le Tombeau de Couperin, by Maurice Ravel, originally a six-movement piano suite in memory of six friends killed in World War 1, was later orchestrated.

Swirling sound from tight, tidy strings impressed throughout, with melodic themes suitably prominent. Australian born F. S. Kelly (1881-1916) composed few works before he was killed in action in France.

Elegy for String Orchestra ‘In Memoriam Rupert Brooke’ was written after the death (also at war) of his great friend British poet Rupert Brooke.

Again, the strings (including harp) excelled with rich texture, haunting lyricism and an emotionally laced, soft peaceful final passage.

A big, full orchestral sound for Wagner’s Prelude to Die Maeistersinger ended a magnificent programme.

Review by Elizabeth Bouman, Otago Daily Times, Monday 3 October 2016.