The single break came in 1918 when Spanish ‘flu forced a ban on public
gatherings, but since then, for the next hundred years right up to today, every
year has been a Messiah year. So our celebration performance this evening
marks more than 150 years of music-making for Auckland but even more
special is its proclamation of “One Hundred Hallelujahs” — an unbroken
century of Messiahs since 1918.
For Auckland Choral (its crisper new name), as for hundreds of choral
societies throughout the world, Handel’s Messiah has been both backbone and
lifeblood. In the index to Adrienne Simpson’s excellent book about the choir
(Hallelujahs and History: Auckland Choral 1855-2005) there are many works
that are listed sometimes up to half a dozen times, but Handel’s Messiah is
mentioned nearly sixty times. In addition to its importance as a work of art and
its vibrant link to the English choral tradition ‘back home’, the work was also
the greatest single platform for Auckland’s budding singers, while its famous
tunes and seasonal message made a direct appeal to a large and ever-increasing
musical public. The New Zealand Herald writer in 1867 got it right when he
ended his article by describing Messiah as “the people’s oratorio”.
But there is another role that Messiah has played in the life of the choir — that
of financial life-saver. Messiah is such a popular work and such a clear beacon
for the Christmas season that everyone wants to be in on its performance. Box
office demand means a healthy profit and more ambitious plans for the choir.
The fact is that, throughout its history, whenever the coffers began to ring
hollow, the Choral Society could always look forward to the coming of the next
Messiah to restore its financial peace of mind.
A good example was in the year 1896, when a touring French soprano, the
famous Antoinette Trebelli, was signed up for two December performances
The Choral Hall on the
corner of Alfred and
Symonds Street, the
Society’s home 1872–1916
and Auckland’s main
music venue before the
building of the Town
Hall in 1911. A 1917 photo
by Henri Winkelmann.
auckland public library ,
special collections