City Choir Dunedin has been entertaining audiences
for over 150 years. The choir attracts members of
all ages and from all walks of life, from around the
Otago region. Over the years the choir has been led
and inspired by many talented and dedicated musical
directors and it is undoubtedly their drive and vision
that are among the reasons for the choir’s longevity
and success, combined with the commitment of
singers, the hard work of committee members,
audience support, and financial assistance from
many sources. David Burchell has been Musical
Director of City Choir Dunedin since 2000.
As Dunedin’s leading exponent of large-scale choral
works, the choir strives for the highest standards in
performing the classics of the repertoire, such as
Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio,
Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Ninth and Elgar’s The
Dream of Gerontius.
In addition, the choir has performed major new
works by New Zealand composers. For its 150th anniversary in 2013, City Choir commissioned and
premiered a new composition from Christopher
Marshall entitled For What Can Be More Beautiful?
In 2016 the choir sang Anthony Ritchie’s Gallipoli
to the Somme, in 2012 The Journey Home by John
Drummond, and Missa Pacifica by David Hamilton
in 2006.
City Choir Dunedin’s 150th anniversary season
included going on tour with the NZSO, performing
the Verdi Requiem not only in Dunedin, but also
joining forces with Auckland Choral Society,
Orpheus Choir of Wellington and Christchurch
City Choir for performances in the major centres
of New Zealand.
City Choir Dunedin enjoyed travelling again in
2014 for a performance of the Vaughan Williams
Sea Symphony with Auckland Choral and the
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and is looking
forward to this year’s performances of Handel’s
Messiah with Auckland Choral and Pipers Sinfonia.
Emily Cox, music director
Justine Favell, accompanist
Patrons Roy Wales & Alan Mackay-Sim organisations. Its extensive repertoire spans music
from the baroque to the present day and includes
Australian and world premières. For over two
decades the Chorale has performed in QPAC’s
‘Spirit of Christmas’ concerts. It has participated
regularly in the 4MBS Festival of Classics, with
memorable performances of Verdi’s Requiem,
Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Rachmaninov’s
The Bells, and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast.
Celebrating the 4MBS Festival’s 25 th anniversary
in June this year, Brisbane Chorale, The
Queensland Choir and Orchestra Corda Spiritus
presented a sell-out “A Choral Spectacular” in the
Brisbane City Hall. There were two performances
with the QSO in August, “(Not) the Last Night of
the Proms” and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and
most recently Mahler’s 8 th Symphony with the
Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and other
choirs, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the
Conservatorium.
For information see brisbanechorale.org.au
Brisbane Chorale, a symphonic choir of over 100
voices, has been under the leadership of Emily
Cox since 2003. It is an independent performing
organisation, enjoying a close relationship with the
Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, as
it has since its formation in 1983 by Dr Roy Wales,
then Director of the Conservatorium.
The Chorale’s recently published history Our
Journey was written by Professor Peter Roennfeldt
and made possible by a Brisbane City Council
History Grant.
The Chorale has a reputation for outstanding
choral performance and collaborates frequently
with major orchestras such as Queensland
Symphony Orchestra (QSO), Camerata, Brisbane
Philharmonic Orchestra and Brisbane Symphony
Orchestra, as well as choirs and other performance