Orpheus Choir, Wellington Photo: Ebony Lamb Photography
Brent Stewart Photo: Aliah Jan
The Orpheus Choir, under Music Director Brent Stewart, will be bringing the big choir experience to audiences at the end of April with a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's masterpiece, Mass in B minor.
Brent says for him the most challenging aspect of preparing the work is its contrapuntal nature.
"It's so densely polyphonic at times, and it's where there is so much independence to each part that everyone has to play their part - you have to know your part."
"There's a lot of choral music out there that's more homophonic, where we generally sing the same rhythm at different pitches and harmony... but this is really complex, and so that makes it really challenging."
"But it also makes it the most incredibly satisfying sing for singers when you get through that whole work... the way [Bach] can make lines sound so independent and yet they all come together at the end."
J S Bach - Mass in B minor
Saturday 29 April, 7.30pm
Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
Soloists: Anna Leese, Jenny Wollerman, Maaike Christie-Beekman, Declan Cudd, Wade Kernot
Orpheus Choir, Orchestra Wellington
Conductor: Brent Stewart
