Events Archive - Voices NZ - Choirs Aotearoa

“I am a citizen of horizons…

A citizen with no homeland…

What I do: I travel…

My hometown: all the cities…” Majed Amin

Horizons brings music, poetry and song from the old world and the new to map a story that bears witness to the ambiguous emotions of migration: the inescapable loss and trauma, the unexpected beauty and joy, the cruelty and violence and the endless and often futile dreams of a new home.

In this special immersive concert experience, audiences will be free to sit, stand or move around the ‘set’ following choir, storyteller Nathaniel Lees and the sound of drums to a peaceful pasture of chamomile, the excited hubbub of a bustling market and the craggy promontories of farewell.

Songs, stories and experiences from lands very much warmer than this one to snow-covered peaks thousands of miles away from here will open your hearts to the ebb and flow, the tragedy, tumult and celebration experienced by people from around the globe and across the centuries.

Featuring the world-premiere of Huwiyati Muhajer/Citizens of Horizons by Palestinian Jordanian artist and composer Shireen Abu-Khader, alongside works by Ériks Ešenvalds, Bob Chilcott, Antonín Dvořák and Aotearoa composers Rosa Elliott and Takerei Komene, Horizons will leave no heart untouched, no soul unstirred.

Voices New Zealand with

Nathaniel Lees – narrator

Jeremy Fitzsimons - Percussion

Karen Grylls, CMNZ – Conductor and Artistic Director

Jacqueline Coats - Stage Director and Script

Left unfinished at the time of his death in 1791, Mozart’s Requiem is not only testament to his extraordinary talent but continues to be regarded as one of the most profound and moving musical expressions in classical music.

Programme Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (arr. Robert Wiremu) | Requiem in D minor K 626

About composer Robert Wīremu:

As an occasional composer, Robert has been relatively prolific in output. A student of the late Jack Body, the late David Farquhar, and the very active Ross Harris, Robert was a singer (studying with Emily Mair) specialising in new and old music. It’s not surprising then that he would focus his writing on work featuring the voice. He’s also strongly influenced by Māori sounds and perspectives, which is evident in his output.

Since the late 90s, Robert has taught musicianship and voice at the University of Auckland. During the majority of that period, he worked very closely with Karen Grylls, transforming the Auckland Chamber Choir, establishing applied approaches to the teaching of musicianship skills, and supporting the development of conducting studies.

About this project, he says: “The opportunity to reimagine a cultural masterwork, a giant in the classical canon, comes with a lot of expectation. Some will believe it inappropriate to touch such an icon, that Mozart was a perfect artist, and genius. This is not in dispute. Some will expect me to burn down the institutions and raze the establishment. I’ve had my ups and downs with Wolfgang, but I commit to this project with utmost respect. All I can offer is a commentary on how I hear the requiem, how it effects me, how I relate to it, how I live with it, how it infiltrates my days. That’s all!”

Voices NZ 25th Birthday

Happy birthday to us!

You may know that our 25th birthday is coming up, and we’re going to celebrate in style by going on this national tour with Chamber Music New Zealand.

There are two ways that you can help us celebrate as alumni or long-time of the choir. If you live in any of the places we’re taking ‘Reimagining Mozart’, please consider coming along. We and Karen would love to see you.

Secondly we encourage you to share in this group your photos and memories of Voices NZ over the years. We will collate and treasure them as we reflect on this milestone and the next 25 years. You can email them to choirs@choirsnz.co.nz

Ka rawe!

Supported by:

Parental guidance advised: Themes of grief and loss

From Bach to today! In a daring reimagining of early music, join Voices New Zealand as they take an emotional journey through song. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, with surprising arrangements of traditional choral works in beautiful settings.

Conductor and Music Director Karen Grylls is excited to bring this new show to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch: "'Der Weg' by Leonie Holmes, alongside Bach’s 'Komm, Jesu, komm', newly commissioned for this occasion, will be a real highlight of the concert."

Directed by renowned Opera director Jacqueline Coats, the journey of the concert will be guided by puppetry from Little Dog Barking Theatre Company, a first for a Voices New Zealand concert.

Music Director Karen Grylls

Director Jacqui Coats

Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir

Contributing artists

Cello James Bush
Marimba Eric Renick

Puppetry Kenny King

Repertoire

O ves Omnes Victoria
Es ist ein Ros Praetorius
Es ist ein Ros Sandström
Mass in B Minor (Crucifixus) Johann Sebastian Bach
Komm Jesu Komm Johann Sebastian Bach
Der Weg Leonie Holmes (World premiere 26 May)
Hear My Prayer Purcell
My Prayer Chilcott
When the Violin Sings Reena Esmail
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Johann Sebastian Bach
O lux beata Trinitas William Byrd
O lux beata Trinitas Andrej Makor
Ecce Quomodo Moritur Justus Jacobus Gallus Handl. Bob Thiele and David Weiss, restructured by Robert Wiremu

This tour is supported by:

1638743691_Aotearoa Gaming Trust - WHITE - RGB

Mahler Symphony No. 3 in D Minor

What better way to kick off Gemma New’s first full year as NZSO Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor than with one of the greatest symphonies of all time? Mahler’s Third Symphony is a colossal monument in the orchestral repertoire, requiring a giant orchestra, singers from Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, a children’s choir, and a mezzo-soprano soloist. In this work, Mahler interrogates and portrays gorgeous life itself – summer, nature, humanity, heaven and love.

Renowned mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke returns to our shores to perform in this masterful work. Described as being “equal parts poise, radiance, and elegant directness” (Opera News), she gained particular acclaim for originating the female lead in John Adams’ opera Doctor Atomic. Comfortable singing everything from Mozart to Missy Mazzoli, she has made a specialty of gilding Mahlerian repertoire with her “bewitchingly lustrous” sound (New Zealand Herald).

Conductor Giordano Bellincampi
Soprano Kirstin Sharpin
Mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell
Tenor Manase Latu
Bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Combined choir from:

Voices New Zealand
New Zealand Youth Choir
New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir

The Graduate Choir New Zealand
Director Karen Grylls

Programme:

Beethoven Symphony No.8
Beethoven Symphony No.9

Beethoven’s genial Eighth Symphony is the work of an unrivalled artist revealing himself as a fellow human, laughing and joking like the rest of us. And our universal humanity is the explicit concern of his next symphony, but it’s on an entirely different scale.

For the heaven-storming Ninth, the orchestra alone wasn’t enough: voices were necessary for Beethoven’s ecstatic vision. ‘All men shall become brothers,’ they sing. ‘I embrace you, O you millions – this kiss is for all the world!’

With this concert, the APO ﬁnally completes its much-anticipated symphony cycle. Through the music, with its vast, elemental force, Beethoven speaks to us across the centuries and into inﬁnity.

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is New Zealand’s full-time professional Metropolitan orchestra, serving the country’s largest and most vibrant city with a comprehensive programme of concerts and education and outreach activities.

Presented in association with ICBC

Auckland’s two newest vocal ensembles ‘Belles & Whistles’ and ‘Sonōrus’ present a concert of small ensemble music ranging from the 12th century to today.

Come and enjoy an evening of wonderful music at these ensembles’ inaugural concert.

Brought to you by Voices New Zealand.

In a landmark moment for choral music in Aotearoa New Zealand, Grammy Award winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre takes the stage in Auckland for on Open Rehearsal with the New Zealand Youth Choir.

Eric Whitacre’s works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united singers from more than 145 countries over the last decade. A graduate of Juilliard School of Music, Eric completed his second term as Artist in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2020 having served five years as Composer in Residence at the University of Cambridge. In 2021, Eric was named a Yamaha Artist.

In this 1-hour long rehearsal, Eric will work with and conduct the NZ Secondary Students' Choir & NZ Youth Choir on a selection of his own works that the choirs will be performing that night at the gala concert.

The 5 pieces the NZ Secondary Students' Choir are planning to work on are:

Animal Crackers (Vol 1)
Animal Crackers (Vol 2)
Seal Lullaby
Lux Aurumque
Little Birds

The 7 pieces the NZ Youth Choir are planning to work on are:

1. - 5. The City and the Sea
6. A Boy and a Girl
7. Lux Aurumque

Keeping everyone safe

Our choir and staff are fully vaccinated
There may be restricted audience numbers depending on the colour level of the Protection Framework
Bubbles will be spatially distanced
Audience will be required to wear masks

If you have any specific questions around our commitment to keep our choir and audience safe, feel free to email choirs@choirsnz.co.nz

Choirs Aotearoa NZ Trust in association with JCP presents

In a landmark moment for choral music in Aotearoa New Zealand, Grammy Award winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre is presenting in concert one of his most recent compositions, THE SACRED VEIL, sung by Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir.

Eric Whitacre's works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united singers from more than 145 countries over the last decade. A graduate of Juilliard School of Music, Eric completed his second term as Artist in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2020 having served five years as Composer in Residence at the University of Cambridge. In 2021, Eric was named a Yamaha Artist.

There will be an opening performance from the NZ Youth Choir in Auckland, and NZ Secondary Students' Choir in Wellington, both performing a selection of Whitacre's works conducted by Whitacre himself. This will be followed by Voices New Zealand presenting his long-form work The Sacred Veil, a profound meditation on love, life and loss, written with Whitacre’s frequent collaborator, poet & historian Charles Anthony Silvestri. The work was premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and released on Signum Records in 2020. This will be conducted by Eric Whitacre.

In “The Sacred Veil,” Whitacre and the Master Chorale memorably celebrate the precarious beauty of life, offering the welcome consolation of art and a momentary stay against our collective fate.

— LA Times

NOTE FROM ERIC

The Sacred Veil is a 12-movement work and the most recent collaboration between Eric Whitacre and poet/lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri telling a story of life, love and loss. Silvestri’s wife, Julie, died of ovarian cancer at age 36 in 2005, leaving two young children. Including texts from Silvestri, Whitacre and Julie herself, the intimate, compelling score tells a story of courtship, love, loss and the search for solace. Although inspired by this extraordinary and moving friendship, the piece does not mention Julie by name and shares a very human journey –one that so many of us can relate to.

Check out Eric's viral TED talk

Keeping everyone safe

Our choir and staff are fully vaccinated
There will be restricted audience numbers in the Red level of the Protection Framework
Bubbles will be spatially distanced
Audience will be required to wear masks
If you have any specific questions around our commitment to keep our choir and audience safe, feel free to email choirs@choirsnz.co.nz

The Sacred Veil was commissioned by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Grant Gershon, Artistic Director, and co-commissioned by Monash Academy of Performing Arts – MLIVE and NTR ZaterdagMatinee for the Netherlands Radio Choir.

Presented by arrangement with John Cristian Productions and Music Productions LTD

With support from:

Gemma New Conductor
Voices New Zealand Choir
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Featuring

John Psathas Seikilos
Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration
Mozart Requiem

Mozart’s untimely death at just 35 years old meant Requiem lay unfinished when he passed in 1791.

The version most often heard today was completed by Mozart’s contemporaries and gives us a tantalising glimpse of the creative direction Mozart could have gone if his life had not been unexpectedly cut short.

The NZSO is joined by VOICES NZ for this performance. Led by legendary choral conductor Dr Karen Grylls, this top-tier choir has won a Tui, toured internationally, and performed spectacularly in arts festivals nationwide.

Two other song-inspired gems bring their special lustre to this programme. John Psathas’ Seikilos was inspired by a fragment of an ancient Greek song which exhorts us to enjoy life while it lasts. Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration is a gorgeously evocative poem about earthly suffering and heavenly bliss.