2010 Concerts and Services

Sunday 21 March

The Official Opening of the new Auckland Town Hall Organ

3:30pm

Auckland Town Hall

Musica Sacra joins forces with Viva Voce, The Graduate Choir, New Zealand and the Auckland Youth Symphony Orchestra for the Inuaguration of the the new Klais organ. Indra Hughes will accompany the choirs and John Wells (City Organist and Musica Sacra Organist) will premiere his new Organ Symphony. The concert will be broadcast live on Radio New Zealand Concert.

Choral works:
Brahms: Gestliches Lied

Parry: I was glad

Bairstow: Blessed City, heavenly Salem

Woods arr. Hughes: God defend New Zealand (The New Zealand National Anthem)

For further information, visit the Town Hall Organ Website.

GOOD FRIDAY: Friday 2 April

Howells: Requiem

Dupré: Jesus Console Les Filles d'Israel (Jesus Comforts The Women Of Jerusalem) from Le Chemin de la Croix

Duruflé: Requiem

TWO PERFORMANCES: 3:30pm and 8:00pm

St Matthew-in-the-City

Admission FREE: exit by donation (suggested amount $20 per person)

Click here to read the programme notes.

Sunday 11 July

CONCERT: A REDISCOVERED GEM

Mass for double choir Op. 54 by Louis Spohr (1784–1859)

5:00pm

St Michael's, Beatrice Road, Remuera

Musica Sacra resurrects this beautiful and unaccountably neglected setting for two five-part choirs. According to its editor, Otto Biba, it is "…without doubt, one of the most important works of post-classical church music." Written in 1821, Spohr's Mass took its inspiration from his study of the old Renaissance masters, but he infused it with "the rich modulations of the late Mozart's compositional style". The rich ten-part scoring and antiphonal writing, of the kind that Musica Sacra sings so well, promises a concert of great warmth and interest.

In the first half of the concert the choir will sing a selection of Henry Purcell's greatest anthems for the Chapel Royal, including Lord, how long wilt thou be angry, Remember not, Lord, our offences and I was glad. Miranda Hutton, Graham McPhail and Polly Sussex—all leading exponents of early music—will play a selection of Purcell's beautiful Trio Sonatas.

The admission price of $40 includes a glass of wine from our sponsor Crossroads Winery and canapes.

Click here to download the Programme Notes

Sunday 5 September

CONCERT: THE WESTERN WIND

Sheppard: Media vita in morte

Taverner: The Western Wind Gloria

Byrd: Mass for Five Voices
Byrd: Infelix ego

5:00pm

St Michael's, Remuera

click to enlarge

A concert of glorious early English music. The 16th-century John Sheppard's stunning Media vita in morte (In the midst of life we are in death), taking over twenty minutes in performance, is full of the very high soaring treble lines and richly dissonant 'false relations' that were so much a feature of this period of English music. Taverner's Western Wind Mass, a series of brilliant choral variations on a secular tune, is one of the great masterpieces of the early Tudor period; and Byrd's beautiful and devotional Mass for Five Voices and Infelix ego capture the anguish and political intrigue of oppressed Roman Catholics in the England of Queen Elizabeth the First.

 

Saturday 18 December

CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

In association with the Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra

8:000pm

Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

with John Wells, City Organist and Musica Sacra organist
Nicholas Forbes, Musica Sacra Organ Scholar

and
APO Brass and Percussion

Musica Sacra (with other choirs) and Dr John Wells
at the Opening of the Town Hall Organ, March 2010
(photo: Hans Wechselbaum)

a feast of thrilling Christmas music for choir, audience, brass and the new Town Hall Organ

The last of the year’s celebratory Inaugural Concerts for the magnificent new Town Hall Organ, this exciting event brings together one of New Zealand’s finest choirs with the splendour of the APO Brass and the Organ.

The programme will appeal to a wide audience and will include favourite Christmas Carols, including opportunities for the audience to join in the singing. City Organist Dr John Wells and young organ student Nicholas Forbes will offer exciting organ solos and Musica Sacra will sing beautiful and inspiring Christmas music.

This promises to be the year’s most sonically spectacular musical event!

SATURDAY 18 DECEMBER 2010 at 8:00pm
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE®

General admission $35
tickets on sale from 1 September from www.buytickets.co.nz
or ph (09) 357 3355 (service fees apply)

 

Choral Evensong

The choir sings Choral Evensong at 5:00pm on the last Sunday of each month (February to November inclusive). In March and April 2010, Evensong begins at 5:30pm. These services take place at the beautiful church of St Matthew-in-the-City in central Auckland. The services follow the 1662 Book of Common Prayer: they are short, fully choral with music from the Anglican Cathedral tradition, and there is no sermon. The Officiants are the Venerable Howard Leigh and the Reverend Jonathan Kirkpatrick. Free parking on Sundays is available in the church parking building immediately adjacent to the church, on the south side of the building (NB not on the forecourt).

Evensongs in 2010:
Feb 28; Mar 28; Apr 25 (Anzac Day); May 23; Jun 27; Jul 25; Aug 29; Sep 26; October 31; Nov 28

Click here to read the archive of our performances in 2006.

Click here to read the archive of our performances in 2007.

Click here to read the archive of our performances in 2008.

Click here to read the archive of our performances in 2009.

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