A century of Messiahs
Every performance of Handel’s Messiah is a special event, and Auckland Choral’s 2018 performance will be extra-special, as it is the choir’s hundredth consecutive Messiah. Since the choir’s founding in 1855 there have only been 2 exceptions – the outbreak of World War I and the flu epidemic of 1918. To celebrate this momentous century of Messiahs, the choir will be joined by visiting singers from choral groups near and far, and a stunning line-up of soloists will lead the choir, including Metropolitan Opera star Heather Johnson, New Zealand’s most famous tenor Simon O’Neill, and bass Martin Snell whose “Trumpet Shall Sound” stays in the memory all year round. Join us again to welcome this year’s Christmas and to be part of our amazing “one hundrednot-out” tradition.
Marlena Devoe soprano
Heather Johnson mezzo-soprano
Simon O’Neill tenor
Martin Snell bass
Uwe Grodd conductor
Auckland Choral
New Zealand and international guest choirs including City Choir Dunedin and Brisbane Chorale
Pipers Sinfonia
Sunday, 16 December 5.00pm
Monday, 17 December 7.30pm
Auckland Town Hall
ticketmaster.co.nz / 09 970 9700
$42–$97.50 concession available
Like so many contraltos, I first got put in the alto section as a school girl because I could read music and manage to sing a line of harmony. I joined Auckland Choral when I was in high school and now I’ve been a member for 40 years! I started singing with my mum as a toddler, sitting on her knee while she played the piano and sang soprano and tenor Messiah arias. I used to come to Auckland Choral’s Saturday dress rehearsals in the Town Hall and follow the score in my early teenage years, and it was a natural step to join Mum in the choir when I was 15. I remember Choral Hall in Airedale Street where we used to meet (before Mayoral Drive was built). It was a dusty old building and freezing in winter, but the ladies in the alto section were very kind to me and welcomed me into the back row. Nothing really changes in that respect; the Auckland Choral altos today are a great bunch of people as well!
With a long history in music and performance, Josephine was singing in choirs from the age of 5. She has had the privilege of singing under Dr Raymond White, Sir David Willcocks (Kings College, Cambridge) and was a member of the New Zealand National Youth Choir with Professor Peter Godfrey from 1985 – 1988.
Jim Allardyce here from Whangarei. Commuting to Auckland for work, down on a Tuesday and back on a Friday, has opened up a new side to my social calendar. Rehearsals at the choir have become my weekly highlight forming a natural part of my week. Joining only this year, I remember going for my first visit to "check it all out" - I sat at the back amazed at the choir sight-reading Mendelssohn in German (as it was their first reading and performance of the piece). Very soon I was in the thick of it - rolling my r's in Mendelssohn's tongue with the other singers in my bass one section. My inaugural concert in the Auckland Town Hall was unforgettable as the choir was stupendous.