Bach's Mass in B Minor is coming soon

 

Bach's Mass in B Minor
Saturday 10 October 2026, 7:30 pm
Dunedin Town Hall

Presented by City Choir Dunedin, with soloists and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by David Burchell. The soloists are Caroline Burchell, Tessa Romano, Claire Barton, Teddy Finney-Waters and David Greco.

Experience Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor, a monumental choral masterpiece. Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring breath-taking arias, soaring choruses, and the combined talents of our soloists, City Choir and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. 

Often described as a "cathedral in sound," Bach's Mass in B Minor is widely considered one of the greatest achievements in Western sacred music. Spanning two hours of intricate polyphony and profound emotional depth, this encyclopaedic work blends triumphant choruses with deeply intimate, reflective solos. 

Whether you are a lifelong Bach enthusiast or a first-time listener, this performance offers a rare opportunity to experience a pinnacle of human artistic expression. Alongside the voices the sheer scale of the instrumentation - featuring trumpets, timpani, vibrant woodwinds and lush strings - will resonate deeply in the stunning acoustics of the Dunedin Town Hall.

Tickets are now on sale!

Schubert in May 2008

Accolades for orchestra, choir

"Despite the holiday weekend and sport on TV, an extremely good-sized audience attended the town hall on Saturday evening to hear the Dunedin Youth Orchestra and the City of Dunedin Choir, conducted by David Burchell.

It was a great performance and accolades flowed, particularly for the DYO... The length and difficulty of the programme was a huge ask for these young players, who achieved an extremely commendable standard overall.
The choir, of well over 130 singers, was in good form, delivering a beautiful interpretation, despite there appearing to be insufficient male voices for a satisfactory blend. High register soprano clarity and intonation were particularly commendable.

Soloists... Lois Johnson.. Claire Barton... Andrew Grenon... Chris Bruerton... their frequent harmonic passages were perfectly balanced, refreshingly light and appealing."

(Extract from the review by Elizabeth Bouman in the Otago Daily Times of 1 June 2008.)

Performance: Franz Schubert's Mass No. 5 in A Flat, Dunedin Town Hall, 31 May 2008