A century of Messiahs
Welcome to Auckland Choral’s celebration of the 100 th consecutive performance
of Handel’s Messiah. Of course, the choir has been in existence much longer than
that (163 years in fact) and we are proud of its long history. There was a single
break during its lifetime that the Messiah was not performed – 1918 – when, due
to the Spanish influenza outbreak, public performances were banned. On reaching
a major milestone (100 Hallelujahs this year) it was a perfect opportunity to make
December 2018 a very special event. We are also proud of the vocal quality of the
choir and the enjoyment our combined voices have brought and continue to bring
to many thousands of Aucklanders and patrons from throughout New Zealand and
beyond.
It is a delight to have the alumni (our extended “family”) join us, as well as
members of the Brisbane Chorale and City Choir Dunedin, both of which we
have collaborated with on a number of occasions. We welcome them to share the
Auckland Town Hall stage along with Singers from the University of Auckland
Chamber Choir.
Handel’s Messiah is the best-loved choral work to be performed around Christmas
and we know you will enjoy the evening as you relax and listen to the beautiful
recitatives, dramatic arias and powerful choruses accompanied by our very own
Pipers Sinfonia together with the magnificent Town Hall pipe organ. We are
indeed fortunate to have such a talented line-up of soloists who have outstanding
reputations both in New Zealand and internationally.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and donors and all
those people both within and outside the choir for their contributions to make it
possible for this great work to be performed this evening.
Sit back, listen, enjoy as Auckland Choral “sings to inspire”.
Beverley Rogers, Chairperson, Auckland Choral
Handel’s Messiah has been an integral part of Auckland Choral’s repertoire since
the choir’s earliest days. This year we celebrate 100 years of consecutive annual
performances of this choral masterpiece. The best-loved of all great choral works,
Messiah continues to draw crowds to performances wherever it is heard. For
members of Auckland Choral, Christmas isn’t really on its way until we’ve sung
this music. Each year we enjoy the different interpretations our soloists bring to
the music, and this year we’re bringing you a truly stellar line-up of voices. And
it’s a pleasure to welcome singers from Dunedin and Brisbane – choirs we’ve
collaborated with – as well as alumni of the choir. I hope you enjoy this very special
performance.
David Hamilton, President, Auckland Choral