The Graduate Choir New Zealand and their Music Director Terence Maskell celebrate their 21st Anniversary with a concert in St Matthew's-in-the-City, Auckland, 30 October 2022.
Photo: Graduate Choir NZ
The choir had its origins in 2001 when a group of choristers from Aorere College in Papatoetoe decided they wanted to continue singing together after graduating from the college – hence the name. Their choirmaster at the college Terence Maskell stayed with them and is with them still.
Choir members have come and gone but three originals remain: Melissa Absolum, Faiai Poching and Kriss Rapana. And the choir has some very illustrious alumni, the brothers Pene and Amitai Pati sang as teenagers with the Graduate Choir and both now have successful opera careers overseas.
The choir had originally intended to have a 20th Anniversary concert in 2021, but the Covid pandemic restrictions scuppered that plan. A year later, they managed this 21st celebration and they are joined by mezzo soloist Dilys Fong and organist Indra Hughes.
The programme is made up of pieces that hold special affection for the singers – some of them were suggested by members. But there are one or two new items. In particular, a new commission from Chris Artley – himself a member of the choir.
[Programme notes below courtesy of The Graduate Choir New Zealand's programme booklet.]
Complete concert with introductions from choir members
MENDELSSOHN: Kyrie: Ehre sei Gott: Heilig, from Die Deutsche Lit
Text: The Ordinary of the Mass
Three beautiful liturgical settings for double choir. The soloists in the middle section (Adagio) of Ehre Sei Gott are: Shana Matthews (soprano), Emma Gavenda (alto), Danny McDougall (tenor) and Faiai Poching (bass).
Erik EŠENVALDS: The Long Road
Text: Paulīna Bārda (1890 - 1983)
From the pen of this award-winning Latvian composer comes a gorgeous setting of inventive interplay of choral and instrumental textures. The solos are provided by Wendy Beasley & Julia Jackson (soprano), Melissa Absolum & Emma Gavenda (alto), Danny McDougall & Tali Meavale (tenor) and Roy Rogers & Rayzen Battad (bass). Several singers also provide some gentle recorder and percussion sounds – scored quasi-improvisatory ad libitum by the composer.
TRAD arr André Thomas: I'm gonna sing
The choir has been doing just that for the past twenty-one years – singing - and this upbeat spiritual arrangement exhorts us to continue…I’m gonna sing when the spirit says sing!
TRAD arr Norman Luboff: All my trials
Over the years, the choir has enjoyed exploring the traditional Black American spiritual repertoire that almost exclusively originates in the Southern States – but this one comes from the Bahamas. Its straightforward and expressive textures frame a mezzo solo, taken today by foundation member Melissa Absolum.
Eric WHITACRE: Glow
Text: Edward Esch (b.1970)
From the Disney World of Colour Winter Dreams (2013) comes this atmospheric and disarmingly attractive setting, which at only barely three minutes, provides a shorter foil to his longer, more complex compositions.
VERDI: Va pensiero, from Nabucco
Libretto: Temistocle Solera (1815 – 1878)
Under its original name of Nabucodonosor (Nebuchadnezzar) the opera was first performed in 1842 and is considered to have established Verdi's reputation as a composer. The story follows the plight of the Jews as they are exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian king Nabucco. In a departure from the choir’s usual fare, the choir performs the best-known number from the opera – Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves.
SCHUBERT: Ständchen D920
Text: Franz Grillparzer (1791 – 1872)
Also known as Notturno, this is an exquisite part song for alto solo, chorus and piano, composed in Vienna in 1827. This setting stands as an absolute gem of the choral literature where Schubert exploits his superb mastery of enharmony and word-painting (in both voices and accompaniment). The men of the choir are delighted to be joined by mezzo Dilys Fong.
Chris ARTLEY: That music always round me
Text: Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892)
Last year Chris Artley, long-serving choir member, accompanist and composer, was commissioned to write a piece to celebrate the choir’s anniversary. The Whitman poem stood out as a perfect text for the project and a short Māori proverb was also woven into the texture. It is a complex, extended work for 8-part unaccompanied choir and a solo group, falling roughly into three sections – each containing linked thematic material. A striking modulation heralds the final section, and after a recapitulation, the piece closes triumphantly.
The choir has enjoyed performing many of Chris’s pieces over the years and is proud of its continuing association with this award-winning composer. The soloists are: Estelle-Maria Toleafoa & Rose Powell (soprano), Melissa Absolum & Emma Gavenda (alto), Danny McDougall & Max Wilson (tenor), Tony Tietie & Rayzen Battad (bass).
HOWELLS: A hymn for St Cecilia
Text: Ursula Vaughan-Williams (1911 – 2007)
This is an eloquent ode to the Patron Saint of Music – appropriate for this celebration – immaculately set by that giant among British choral composers, Herbert Howells. It is typical of his style – long, soaring lines for the choir over an ever-shifting harmonic structure provided by Indra Hughes at the St Matthew’s Willis organ.
Te Puoho KATENE: Te aroha
Text: 1 Corinthians
Skilled in both piano and composition (he studied under Douglas Lilburn), Katene provides an idiomatic piano accompaniment for this beautifully-crafted setting. Not all waiata Māori are suitable for choral performance outside the arena of cultural kapa haka, but Te Aroha (and a handful of others) retain their textual and musical integrity without sacrificing the essential wairua (spirit). The movement (mahi a ringa) was devised and directed by foundation singer Kriss Rapana.
Henry Balfour GARDINER: Evening Hymn
Text: Compline Hymn “Te lucis ante terminum”
The concert ends, appropriately, with an inspired setting of the evening hymn. Considered a classic of the English choral repertoire, it is a lush, romantic work for eight-part choir and organ – for the most part set with dense harmonies that test the dynamic capabilities of any choir (and organ!). Listen for the peals of “Amen” near the end as The Graduate Choir NZ brings its birthday celebration to a close.
Recorded by RNZ Concert
Sound engineer: Rangi Powick
Producer: Tim Dodd
