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Ashley Heenan  

A Maori Suite

Duration: 14' 00" Year: 1966
for soprano, mezzo, choir and orchestra

Edwin Carr  

Auckland '71

Duration: 12' 00" Year: 1971
ode for male speaker, SATB chorus and orchestra

Ivan Zagni  

Breath of Hope

Duration: 30' 00" Year: 1990
for SATB choir and orchestra

David Hamilton  

Celebrate the Earth

 Year: 2000
a choral fanfare for mixed-voice choir (SAATBB), large orchestra and jazz band(s)

  • Programme Note

    The text for this work draws on ideas and images from a number of sources, ranging from contemporary poetry to the psalms of the bible. It is a son of celebration of the Earth and all its abundance. The initial form of the text was devised by Deirdre McOnie. The work is a joyous song of praise. More reflective music alternates with rhythmic writing. Throughout, the music makes much use of syncopation. “Celebrate the Earth” was originally written for an overseas competition whose theme was “A Celebration of Earth Day”. This revised and orchestrated version was written on a commission from Auckland Choral Society for their 2000 concert season. It was one of five choral fanfares commissioned for their subscription series. The concert for which this fanfare was written was to be a Bach 250th anniversary concert. the scoring is for Baroque orchestra including harpsichord and organ. Given the nature of the concert I couldn’t resist including a short reference to the BACH musical motive (B-flat – A – C – B natural in pitch terms). It appears in the brief organ solo towards the end of the work. “Celebrate the Earth!” is dedicated to the Auckland Choral Society and their conductor Peter Watts. Its commissioning was made possible by a grant from the Lottery Grants Board. The first performance took place on 24 March 2000 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland. This subsequent version for expanded orchestral forces, including jazz band instruments, was made for Youth arts 2000, a celebration of artistic performances by young people held in Wellington in August 2000. It was intended as a massed item at the end of the final concert, hence the inclusion of jazz bands in the scoring as well as a large orchestra.

  • Availability

Andrew Perkins  

Christchurch Vespers

Duration: 40' 00" Year: 2011
for solo soprano, SATB choir and orchestra

Ray Twomey  

Far Calling (Opus 22)

Duration: 09' 00" Year: 1998
for choir and orchestra

Anthony Ritchie  

From the Southern Marches

Duration: 2h 00' 00" Year: 1997
for choir, soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists and orchestra

  • Programme Note

    From the Southern Marches was the brain-child of George Griffiths, historian and owner of Otago Heritage Books in Dunedin. He writes: ‘For many years I’d pondered the nature of the southern region and the people who live in it – particularly the contradictory characteristics passed on from our Scots forebears, with their unrelenting capacity for hard work and their uncertain trust in the rewards to be gained from it. In a broader view, it seemed the development of a southern character was a story so rich in human spirit and diversity that it demanded some kind of expression.’ The ‘kind of expression’ depended very much on George’s choice of texts which come from a wide variety of sources, ranging from old Maori chants to more recent poetry.

    The work progresses more or less in a chronological manner, but avoids becoming a potted history of the south. Each text from each particular era focuses on a special characteristic of the time – whether it is the reckless optimism of the gold miners in the 1860s, or the grim reality of the needle-workers in the 1880s who were virtual slaves. George has drawn on a rich variety of ideas and texts, so that more serious items are contrasted with humour, as in Thatcher’s The Old Identity or ‘King’ Dick Seddon’s political speech. Some items involve text with existent tunes, and the music becomes an arrangement (as is the case with The Old Identity). Sometimes these tunes are just a starting point for lengthy elaboration, as in Bright Fine Gold, based on the tune for Hot Cross Buns.

    From the Southern Marches has a format that is similar to oratorio, with alternations between solo vocal items and choruses, with the addition of two purely orchestral sections. There is even references to the ‘recitative’ style in The Jubilee, Southern Education and elsewhere. It runs to almost two hours in length, and is divided into two halves.

    Such was the success of the premiere in March 1998, From the Southern Marches was repeated in December of the same year, this time with Dobbs Franks conducting. In 1998, Otago Heritage Books won a Special Merit Award in the National Business Review’s Business Sponsorship of the Arts Awards .

  • Availability

Alfred Hill  

Hinemoa

Duration: 52' 00"
cantata for soloists, choir and orchestra

Gary Daverne  

I will Light a Fire

Duration: 04' 00"
for SAB choir and orchestra

Jack Body  

Invocation

Duration: 30' 00" Year: 1998
for SATB choirs; Cook Island choir, bells, shofar, organ, tape and orchestra