Composer: Ross Harris

Poet Laureate: Vincent O’Sullivan

Taonga puoro composer: Horomona Horo

Conductor: Karen Grylls

Voices NZ Chamber Choir

New Zealand String Quartet

Town Hall, Dunedin

19 Oct 2014

STUNNINGLY IMPRESSIVE AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINING

Reviewed by Brenda Harwood, 20 Oct 2014

The fate of the more than 18,000 New Zealanders, who died in World War 1, is lamented in the extraordinary, powerfully moving Requiem for the Fallen.

Jointly created by leading New Zealand composer Ross Harris and taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments) specialist Horomona Horo, with words by Poet Laureate Vincent O’Sullivan, the work received its South Island premiere at Dunedin Town Hall on Sunday (October 19.

The spellbinding performance was presented by the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, the New Zealand String Quartet, Horo and tenor Richard Greager, conducted by music director Karen Grylls.

Before the performance of Requiem for the Fallen, the scene was set through a carefully selected series of beautiful, melancholy works.

The exquisite skill of the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir was showcased in three a capella works: ‘Hear My Prayer, O Lord’, by Henry Purcell, ‘O Sacrum Convivium’ (‘O Sacred Banquet’) by Olivier Messiaen, and ‘Drei Geistliche Gesange’ (‘Three Sacred Hymns’) by Alfred Schnittke. Filled with glorious, interwoven harmonies, these were a breathtaking taste of what was to come.

The New Zealand String Quartet also presented its own beautiful, expressive performance of Samuel Barber’s lovely Adagio for String Quartet.

Presaged by the haunting strains of taonga puoro and a Maori introduction by Horo, Requiem for the Fallen is an intriguing mix of elements of the classic requiem mass and O’Sullivan’s evocative descriptions of the soldiers’ experiences. The gentle ‘Agnus Dei’ (‘Lamb of God’) segment is a particularly fine example of this, leading into the startling, thunderous ‘Dies irae’ (‘Day of wrath’) with its terrible battlefield imagery.

The way in which Requiem for the Fallen weaves chorus, string quartet and taonga puoro together to tell a cohesive story of young men leaving home in high spirits to go off to war and the horror of their experiences on the front is impressive. The sheer beauty and sadness of the music and the historic images of young New Zealanders in wartime adds a poignancy that makes the work deeply emotionally affecting.

The performance of Requiem for the Fallen by the Chamber Choir of Voices New Zealand, the New Zealand String Quartet, Horomona Horo and Richard Geagar is exemplary in every respect, and more than that, is clearly heartfelt. The result is a work that is both stunningly impressive and emotionally draining.

In the midst of World War 1 centenary commemorations, Requiem for the Fallen is a devastating commentary on the ravages of war. Lest we forget.

St Paul’s, Melbourne, 15 November

Reviewed by: Peter Williams, classicmelbourne.com.au on 16 November

Magnificat!

The audience in St Paul’s Cathedral was treated to a wonderful night of choral music inspired by the idea of the Magnificat. Polyphonic Voices and visitors Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. The choirs performed separately and together and, for the second half, were joined by the Australian Baroque Brass and the Polyphonic Players for a striking performance of Bach’s Magnificat.  It was a night where the pieces chosen celebrated and honoured the Virgin Mary.  Each choir exploited versatile groupings to good effect in the spacious volume that the Cathedral provides.

Voices NZ, under the close direction of Dr Karen Grylls, opened the night with a cappella pieces ranging from Rachmaninoff to contemporary composers of the late 20th century.  They began with Salve Regina by New Zealander, David Childs,  which was a perfect showcase for all sections of the choir.  The strength of the tenor line and the bright, clear soprano section were an immediate attraction.  They captured the imposing opening of “Hail Mary” and later the emotion of “this valley of tears”, ending with extremely moving hypnotic repetitions of the word “Maria”.

Over the five pieces the singing was always clear, capturing well the variety of emotions, dynamics and rhythms.  Impressive building of crescendo and great accentuation were features of the Magnificat by Cesar Alejandro Carillo with some almost jazz rhythms.  This contrasted with the delivery of softer, more flowing lines and sustained block sound of Andrew Baldwin’s Magnificat.

After a tender and quite romantic Bogoroditse of Rachmaninoff, the choir continued with Three Sacred Hymns composed by Russian Alfred Schnittke in 1986.  The three pieces were sung with dramatic force and a good solid underpinning of the low bass line.  It again enabled the choir to show its strengths in each part – lovely flowing lines and the excitement of close harmony and texture.  The final force of the Amen brought their part to a stunning conclusion.  The only drawback here was the shuffling into different formations for each of the three hymns; it was distraction in such a short piece.

Polyphonic Voices followed with works by Thomas Tomkins and Tomas Luis de Victoria representing the Renaissance, and the more contemporary John Taverner and Pawel Lukaszewski.  This too is a very professional and accomplished choir directed by Michael Fulcher. Whilst there were a couple of hesitant entries and the tenor line was a little exposed, they easily handled the complexities of the pieces – for SATB, 10 parts and the three choirs needed for Victoria’s  Magnificat.   Tomkin’s Magnificat contrasted appealing solo voices with tightly interweaving lines for the double choirs, coming together with clear forcefulness by the full choir.

Lukaszewski’s Ave Maria (1992) used the double choir structure to great effect to give added depth to the emotion of the piece dedicated to his mother as it allowed the sound to expand out in the space of the Cathedral.  The last parts were almost “ground bass” in effect where repetition added to the devotional feel of the piece.  In the Taverner “Mother of God, here I stand”, the choir excelled with pianissimo volume and clear lines moving though dissonances to harmony giving a sense of transfiguration, awe and reverence.  Much of this section was accompanied by Christopher Cook on the Chamber Organ.

A very moving conclusion to the first half was the wonder-filled “Det ar en ros utsprungen” using both choirs.  The held humming or ‘ng’ sound surrounded the words sung by smaller groups like petals surrounding the heart.

After interval, Bach’s Magnificat burst forth with thrilling trumpet, timpani and strings leading to the bright entrance of the combined choirs.  They used the E-flat edition which has four interpolations to expand the Christmas message.

Throughout the work, the playing of Australian Baroque Brass and Polyphonic Players was robust and supportive, especially the recorders in “Esurientes”.  The choir was superb, and of great presence with warm moments, as well as decisiveness, control and strength in the more complex contrapuntal parts.  There was a welcome transparency from both the choir and the orchestra in this large Cathedral setting.

Outstanding amongst the soloists was Siobhan Stagg who gave a performance of simplicity and ease with the style. This was through beautifully nuanced singing through all registers.  It was delightful for its clarity, openness of tone and well-articulated runs.  She teamed with the solid performance of the bass, Michael Leighton Jones, for a moving Virga Jesse floruit which was a celebration by Mary and Joseph of the birth of Jesus.  Alto Emma Muir-Smith was slightly overshadowed by the strength of Michael Petruccelli’ s tenor in the “Et misericordia”.  Muir-Smith’s voice is clear and precise, and hopefully she will develop even further as the lack of vibrato was most engaging.  Petruccelli’s time came with the well-sustained bite and attack of “Deposuit potentes”.

Michael Fulcher’s conducting of Virga Jesse floruit maintained a sense of the Bach line where the music flowed articulately, grandly and full of dignity.  This was a moment where in the words of the Dean of the Cathedral, “voices, instruments, music and scripture come together in spirituality”.

Hildegard von BINGEN (1098-1179)
O Viridissima Virga [4:12]

David CHILDS (b.1969)
Salve Regina [4:16]
Pukaea [0:40]

Morten LAURIDSEN (b.1943)
Six Fire Madrigals [20:15]
Purerehua [0:37]

Helen FISHER (b.1942)
Pounamu [8:20]
Poiawhiowhio, karanga manu

Christopher MARSHALL (b.1956)
Horizon 1 (Sea and Sky) [2:00]

Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1975)
Five Flower Songs [11.30]

David HAMILTON (b.1955)
Karakia of the Stars [6:34]
Purerehua [1:05]

Pepe Becker (soprano), Amanda Barclay (soprano), Victoria Chammanee (soprano), Jeffrey Chang (tenor), Horomona Horo (taonga pūoro)
Voices 16 from New Zealand Chamber Choir/Karen Grylls
rec. 24-28 Jan. 2013, Kenneth Myer’s Centre, Auckland University New Zealand.
ATOLL ACD 213 [61:00]
 
‘Taonga pūoro’ is a phrase describing traditional Māori musical instruments, played here by Horomona Horo on this unusual CD. The instruments alternate and sometimes combine with the singers, who are Voices 16, a detachment of the New Zealand Chamber Choir, under their conductor Karen Grylls. The instruments heard include the Hue, made from a gourd; the Kōauau, a flute made from bone; the Pūtōrino, a wooden trumpet; and the Pūtātara, a wind instrument made from the highly prized Titan shell – quite a rarity, I’m told.

The first thing we hear is the strange sound of the Pūtōrino, leading us straight into the first composed piece, Hildegard of Bingen’s song ‘O Viridissima Virga’ (‘Hail greenest branch’). This begins in the solo voice of Pepe Becker, and is then treated freely, with staggered entries cleverly creating an echo effect. Together with more sounds from the folk instruments, this creates a timeless impression, and leads us into the choir’s programme in an intriguing way. In her — somewhat flowery — notes, the conductor Karen Grylls likens the disc to a gallery, with musical instead of visual exhibits.

Be that as it may, it is a beautiful sequence of numbers; David Childs’ ‘Salve Regina’ which follows, gives us our first opportunity to hear this choir singing a ‘conventional’ piece, which they do with great accomplishment. Childs’ treatment is, in its word-setting, highly reminiscent of Poulenc in, for example, the ‘Litanies to the Black Virgin’.

I don’t know how conscious was Childs’ tribute to Poulenc; but Morten Lauridsen’s ‘Six Fire Madrigals’ to Italian texts are explicitly inspired by the vocal works of Monteverdi. Those who know Lauridsen’s sacred works, such as the famous ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ will be familiar with the technique used here. He takes a single chord – described by him as the ‘Fire Chord’ and heard at the very beginning – and explores it throughout the six compositions. The shifting harmonies often produce ear-bending effects such that I wondered if I was hearing microtones at some points – which is not to say that this choir sings out of tune. Indeed, their technical assurance is impressive, if unobtrusive. Sometimes though, both in the Lauridsen and later in the Britten ‘Flower Songs’, I wanted a greater sense of involvement, and a wider palette of vocal colours. In compensation, their ensemble, intonation, breath control and blend are exceptionally fine; they sing as one, a tribute to the clarity and musicianship of their conductor.

Two pieces in a more contemporary style follow; Pounamu by Helen Fisher, based on a Māori proverb, and the evocative ‘Horizon (Sea and Sky)’ by Christopher Marshall. Then comes a more established item of the choral repertoire, Britten’s ‘Flower Songs’. These are, as hinted above, lacking a little bit in character and projection. That said, their sensitive delivery of ‘The Evening Primrose’ is truly affecting, and the final song, ‘Green Broom’, if a little stolid at first, does rise to an appropriately unbuttoned conclusion.

For me, the most interesting musical experience was waiting for me on the wonderful final track, David Hamilton’s ‘Karakia of the Stars’. This is based on a short text – another Maōri one – which is a Springtime invocation to the stars. The voices are joined by traditional percussion instruments, high and low, and the voices cluster and improvise magically. The whole thing is hypnotically beautiful; there is a central section for male voices which the notes describe as a haka. — Perhaps the All Blacks will perform it at the Rugby World Cup this year? Vain hope, methinks.

There are so many wonderful young chamber choirs the world over now, many of them appearing on CD, so that it is very hard for any one of them to make an impact. However, this is a fascinating and lovingly prepared programme which made a strong and delightful impression on me.

Gwyn Parry-Jones

 Click here to view the original review

In a nutshell, as the Festival brochure put it, Ata Reira promised an evening of award-winning choirs, majestic voices and Te Reo Maori in song.

Both separately and together, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the New Zealand Youth Choir delivered all this in a choral celebration of light … and much more. From the start, Paul Lim’s imaginative lighting added so much, with shifting colours and intensities complementing the singers’ groupings and re-groupings for a selection of music spanning 14 centuries.

The dramatic launch involved a medieval chant from the processing choristers gradually diffusing and clustering around a karanga sung by Natasha Wilson; yes, we were definitely in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2015.

A generous booklet offered printed lyrics and background information, as well as making important connections, such as the various settings that shared the same text.

The opening, Stars by Latvian Eriks Esenvalds, was introduced with the unworldly sound of vibrating wine glasses, an ethereal soundcloud floating above the rich sonorities of the Voices NZ singers, conducted by Karen Grylls.

Other musical responses to light included Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque, in which resonant harmonies frayed into shimmering haze, and the almost pointillistic scat textures of Mason Bates’ Observer in the Magellanic Cloud.

More conservative music would come later, with Bob Chilcott’s Canticles of Light stunningly delivered but a banal piece of writing, its laboriously paced three movements separated by sententious chimes.

At the end of the concert, the singers enjoyed David Hamilton’s Ecce Beatam Lucem, a hearty extrovert piece in a genre that this New Zealand composer does so well.

A highlight for me was Murray Schafer’s 1969 Epitaph for Moonlight, a freeform colouristic adventure, responding to onomatopoeic words for moonlight (my favourites were “malooma” and “sheelesk”).

For five enchanted minutes, conductor David Squire seemed to be a painter in sound, his gestures bringing forth luscious sweeps, cries and sighs.

The other high point was specially commissioned Waerenga-a-Hika by Tuirina Wehi, effortlessly combining the jive of kapa haka with a stirring melody that Puccini would have been proud to have written.

What: Ata Reira

Where and when: Auckland Town Hall, Wednesday

Reviewer: William Dart

German conductor Eckehard Stier guided the APO and two choirs through the expressive textures of Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time .

With inspired singing from Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the New Zealand Youth Choir, Stier presented Tippett’s testament of hope. Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s presentation of Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time was the homegrown highlight of our 2015 Auckland Arts Festival.

We were welcomed first with Arvo Part’s Silouan’s Song, its austerely tonal chorale illuminated by sonorous strings.

The full orchestra then dispensed Messiaen’s Hymne au Saint-Sacrement, a vivid compendium of the Frenchman’s compositional ploys. Conductor Eckehard Stier effortlessly moved from dreamscapes to marches, with their brilliant splashes of saturated colour.

Tippett’s 1944 oratorio is made of sterner stuff. For the composer it was a Passion in the Bach mould , “not of a god-man, but of man whose god has left the light of the heavens for the dark of the collective unconscious”.

One of the great humanistic statements of its century, its plea for peace and tolerance is even more potent today, in a world plagued by violence and genocide.

With inspired singing from Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the New Zealand Youth Choir, Stier presented Tippett’s testament of hope.

The young choristers were admirably lithe in flying contrapuntal flurries, and richly expressive in the punctuating spirituals. One felt the intended anger of Go Down, Moses, even through an exquisite pianissimo.

The orchestra clearly enjoyed the combat of gnarly textures, some with those rhythms Aaron Copland playfully claimed as American. Details entranced, too, as when two intertwining flutes introduced the Interludum.

A quartet of fine soloists was dominated by charismatic soprano Indra Thomas and tenor Nicky Spence. Thomas was a force of nature, holding her score out of sight for one thrilling phrase and adding the glow of exhilaration to spirituals.

Spence similarly engaged us, poignantly relating the frustration of being between hammer and anvil over subtle Latin-tinged rhythms.

Victoria Simmonds’ sense of style ensured phrasing of distinction in lines that did not always escape the orchestral surround.

Derek Welton brought a relaxed gravitas as the Narrator but was slightly wanting in dramatic focus towards the end.

These are minor quibbles, however, and if you missed this inspirational concert live, do tune in to Radio New Zealand Concert tonight to hear it.

What: A Child of Our Time
Where and when: Auckland Town Hall, Saturday

Originally aired on Upbeat, Monday 23 March 2015

Peter reviews the Auckland Festival production of Tippet’s Child of Our Time performed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Voices NZ and the NZ Youth Choir.

Click to the link below to find the Radio New Zealand Concert podcast.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/upbeat/audio/20172003/peter-hoar-apo-child-of-our-time-review

Michael Fowler Centre, March 13.

Dame Kiri is now over 70 years of age, and there have been ‘farewell’ concerts all over the world for some years now, but this tour through her home country must be nearly the last. Not that she looks anywhere near the end of anything and, with a carefully constructed program, she sounded just fine. Not that she now sings the wide-ranging coloratura of yesteryear, and she marshalls her resources to suit the state of the voice, but what she did sing here brought back memory after memory of the Kiri Te Kanawa of her prime. With the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir breaking up the concert Dame Kiri showed no evidence of fatigue at concert’s end.

And the programme was not especially downmarket, as some might have expected, with a number of items that would have been new to the adoring audience. In 2014 the American composer Jake Heggie composed a song cycle for her to poems by Emily Dickinson, and ‘Newer every Day’, a cycle of five songs suited Dame Kiri down to the ground. And they are lovely songs, here done superbly aided by the stylish piano accompaniments of Terence Dennis (he played wonderfully all evening). The monologue from Jack Heggie’s musical setting of the final monologue from Terence McNally’s play ‘Masterclass’ was almost as good.

With the choir Dame Kiri sang Mozart’s Laudate Dominum’ – lacking a little in vocal power but fine nonetheless – and Schubert’s ‘Standchen’ in an arrangement for soprano and female voices, and although I much prefer the version for mezzo and male voices, this was well done. So, too, was the ‘Nun’s Chorus, from ‘Casanova’ and, of course, ‘Hine E Hine’ which was given again as an encore along with ‘O My Beloved, Daddy’ from ‘Gianni Schicchi’.

The concert also featured the choir on its own with brief works by Grylls/Wiremu, Hamilton, Faure and Brahms. Lovely singing but Dame Kiri was the reason the huge, enthusiastic audience was in the house.

At this epic staging of Jack Body’s PASSIO, audiences were invited to meander between orchestra, choir and soloists, creating a surround sound experience. Initially this generated amused and shy grins, at the end nearly everyone embarked on their own musical pilgrimage through the Town Hall stalls and when the concert finished the applause didn’t seem to end. Audiences left enthralled and engaged. A complete recording of the concert will be published by Radio New Zealand Concert and a video will be available through SOUNZ at a later stage.

Great concert snippets and critical commentary from RNZ Concert‘s review of PASSIO. The conversation continues….

LOVE VOICES is the first multi-concert package offered by VOICES and programmes feature inspiring New Zealand composers, the world premiere of a new commission by Victoria Kelly, delightful French music and well-known Baroque classics in a concert with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

The season opens with the immersive surround sound experience that is Jack Body’s Passio at Auckland Arts Festival on Sunday 19 March where the audience wanders freely around and through the performance area to fully absorb the resonances of musicians and singers.

Also in Auckland, VOICES joins the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in August for Baroque Voices, while The Unusual Silence in September commemorates war and features the Victoria Kelly commission. Salut Printemps welcomes spring and will tour four centres.

Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust chief executive Arne Herrmann says the 2017 season provides an opportunity to showcase the vocal excellence and versatility of this national choir.

“It’s been our dream for a long time to share this wonderful ensemble with more New Zealanders on a more regular basis.”

VOICES artistic director Karen Grylls is thrilled with the programme for 2017 saying it allows the choir to “flex its artistic muscle. It will challenge our singers to embrace the different choral sounds and textures from the Baroque to today. Performing works by our contemporary New Zealand composers, including a commissioned work from Victoria Kelly to commemorate the WWI centenary is a real privilege for us.”

VOICES performs live in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and beyond during 2017. Choral fans can also add New Zealand Youth Choir concerts to their subscription choice.

For more information about the 2017 programmes and LOVE VOICES click here.

Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Community Trust. The New Zealand Youth Choir’s Principal Sponsor is Infratil.

Karen has been with Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand (CANZ), the organisation managing these choirs, since 1989 when taking over as Music Director of NZYC. In 1998 she founded Voices and became the overall Artistic Director in 2011.

“There is still a lot I want to achieve, especially working with VOICES,” says Karen. “We have such a high calibre of singers in this ensemble and we are ready to take things to the next level. This exciting prospect was a big incentive to renew my role with the choirs.”

“Karen is such an asset for our choirs, an inspiration to the singers and a supremely competent choir leader, even on a global scale.” says CANZ CEO Arne Herrmann, “We love her energy, her sense of adventure and desire for innovation and collaborations. We are thrilled that Karen will continue her leadership role for another three years.”

The new member to the artistic team is 38 year old Michael Stewart. He is assuming the role of Deputy Music Director, which was held last by James Tibbles, a key figure in New Zealand’s Early Music scene. By his own admission Michael started his relationship with NZYC as ‘groupie’, when his then-girlfriend-now-wife Anna Sedcole was singing in the soprano section. After a short stint in the bass section of NZYC, Michael was the recipient of a Dame Malvina Major Arts Excellence Award and moved to Canada for a Master of Music degree majoring in organ performance. Back in Wellington he became Music Director of The Tudor Consort in 2007 and Organist and Director of Music at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul in 2011.

“Michael is an extraordinary find for us.“ says Arne Herrmann, “His experience working with choirs, his strong musical expertise and on top of that being such an outstanding organist and accompanist, makes Michael a wonderful addition to our artistic team, supporting our Music Director David Squire.”

“I am absolutely thrilled at being appointed to this position” ,says Michael. “I feel that my particular skill set, especially the ability to accompany and conduct, make me an ideal fit. I’m looking forward to making music with this outstanding choir, and developing my own skills through contact with the Choirs Aotearoa Artistic Team.”

Both contracts will commence in January 2017 with VOICES being on stage at the Auckland Arts Festival in March and the new NZYC coming together in Wellington for a week-long course in April and concerts on the Kapiti Coast, Featherston and ANZAC commemorations in the city.

Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Community Trust. The New Zealand Youth Choir is sponsored by Infratil.