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Welcome
The Orpheus Choir is New Zealand’s premier symphonic choir of around 100 voices. We perform regularly at major Wellington music venues with highly regarded musicians and soloists, both international and local. Our concerts cover the major classic choral works, through to contemporary and challenging works, including new and original music by New Zealand composers.
Have you always loved Verdi’s Requiem? Want to sing Verdi’s monumental masterpiece en masse with the Orpheus Choir? If you would like to raise the roof of the Town Hall click here!
Come 'n' Sing Verdi Requiem Press Release
COME & SING VERDI REQUIEM WITH ORPHEUS CHOIR
Come and Sing events are a tradition in the UK and Europe, but not well-known by the general public here. Wellington’s Orpheus Choir and a massed chorus will be singing their hearts out in a Verdi Requiem choral workshop on Friday evening and Saturday 17-18 July. Verdi’s Requiem is one of the most-sung big choral works ever but it hasn’t been heard in Wellington in a full performance since 1999.
This community project by Orpheus Choir, supported by WCC Creative Communities, will culminate in a performance at 7.30pm in Wellington Town Hall. This is sure to be a great concert, with a fine conductor, a brilliant organist, top Wellington soloists, and the voices of over 200 singers from Wellington and regional choirs and communities.
Musical Director Michael Fulcher will lead the workshop, joined by the Choir’s accompanist Fiona McCabe, and by Auckland City’s Organist John Wells who will turn the Town Hall’s magnificent organ into a full symphony orchestra. The soloists, all Wellingtonians, are soprano Janey MacKenzie, mezzo Annabelle Cheetham, tenor John Beaglehole and bass Justin Pearce.
Tickets from Ticketek: $20 general admission – students $10, children under 12 free if with an adult.
And if you fancy yourself as the next Pavarotti or Callas, you can register to sing:
phone 04 384 5444 or visit www.orpheuschoir.org.nz. Membership of a choir is not required - a basic musical ability and singing voice is all that’s needed.
Concerts
2009 Concert Programme
Wednesday 24 June - Cloudburst - Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna", Whitacre's "Songs of Faith" and "Cloudburst" and more; press release and more information
Friday pm 17 July and Saturday 18 July - Come and Sing, Verdi's "Requiem", Wellington Town Hall, join in! Click here for more Information and Registration.
Saturday 22 August - Last Night of the Proms - a Vector Wellington Orchestra engagement
Saturday 28 November - Anything Goes - from the songbook of Cole Porter, Wellington Town Hall
For printable 2009 concert card, listing all Orpheus concerts this year, click here.
TICKETS: Request tickets or ticket information here. Otherwise please follow the ticketing links contained within the information page about the particular Concert you wish to go to, above.
Recently
Sunday 29 March - Bach, "St John Passion", Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, more information
2008 Concerts - click here for concerts held in 2008.
Reviews
Extracts from selected reviews:
... the Orpheus’s attack with Wir haben keine König denn den Kaiser (We have no King but Caesar) was scalp-prickling, following on from the contrast of the Chorale Durch deine Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn (Your imprisonment, Son of God) with the savagery of Lässest du diesen los (If you let this man go). No wonder Bach was criticised by some of his contemporaries for presenting “opera in church”!
Bach's St John Passion, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, 29 March 2009, reviewed by Peter Mechen
