Saturday, July 12, 2025
Show draws amazing crowd
Impressive and vibrant experience
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
Thursday, December 12, 2024
French concert sets "joyeux" season off to a good start
![]() |
Joyeux Noël!, 6 December 2024. Photo: Ian Thomson |
Monday, December 9, 2024
French-themed concert display of choral strength
![]() |
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Requiem a first-rate concert
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Performance done with rhythmic deftness
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.
Full house for celestial fare
Visions of Heaven
Friday 28 June 2024, St Paul's Cathedral
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
![]() |
Messiah, 25 November 2023. Photo: Ian Thomson |
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.