Performer

Profile

The Choir was founded in Lower Hutt in 1952 by Malcolm Rickard, who remained the Choir’s Musical Director for over thirty years. Under his leadership, and that of Peter Godfrey and Stuart Douglas in more recent years, the Choir established itself securely as an important feature of Wellington’s musical life. Its fine choral tradition was extended by conductor Philip Walsh, who expanded the Choir’s already respected repertoire to include a broad range of challenging masterpieces from the 20th century, including Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Rachmaninov’s Vespers and the commissioning of Ritchie’s Then I Understood. His seven years with the Choir were followed in 1999 by conductor Andrew Cantrill, who continued to build on this impressive background. In November 2002 the Choir sang, to much acclaim, the première of Orpheus in Rarohenga by New Zealand composer John Psathas and poet Robert Sullivan, commissioned by the Choir to mark its Fiftieth Jubilee. The appointment of Michael Fulcher in October 2004 launched the Choir on another era of presenting highly-regarded concerts of innovative as well as much-loved repertoire, including the New Zealand première of Sir John Tavener’s Lament for Jerusalem, Roxanna Panufnik’s Westminster Mass and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man.

The Choir has initiated several educational projects, including the establishment of the Orpheus Youth Chorus in 2000 as well as Come and Sing Messiah and Opera Choruses workshops and performances in recent years. In addition, the Choir has recruited and trained community singers in massed choir performances at events like Stadium Spectacular, and for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Wellington Youth Orchestra. Orpheus Choir is frequently broadcast by Concert FM, is engaged for major choral works by NZSO, and has many times performed in the NZ International Arts Festival.

New Zealand Works commissioned and first performed by Orpheus Choir

Dorothy Buchanan Call of the River 1991
Anthony Ritchie Then I Understood 1996
John Psathas Orpheus in Rarohenga 2002
Chris Gendall Visionnaire 2003

New Zealand works performed by Orpheus Choir

Terry Vaughan The Stream and the Discovery 1953, 1990
Edwin Carr Auckland Ode 1986
Douglas Lilburn The Prodigal Country 1987
John Ritchie Wings of the Morning 1987, 2003
Christopher Blake Benedictus 1988
David Hamilton Te Deum 1988, 1991
John Wells Psalm 66 1989
David Griffiths Peace and War 1990
Lyell Cresswell Voices of Ocean Winds 1990
David Farquhar Te Deum 1990
Jack Speirs Cantico del Sole 1990
Alfred Hill Hinemoa 1990
Jenny McLeod Hymn for the Lady 1994
Jack Body Invocation 1998