Napier Civic Choir 1994 Newsletter

Napier Civic Choir

NAPIER CIVIC CHOIR

NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 1994

Season’s greetings to you all. The year is drawing to a close with Christmas only a few weeks away.

The Messiah

Handel’s marvellous “Messiah” is a great way to put you in the Christmas mood. A favourite Christmas oratorio, the Messiah will be performed on 4 December in St John’s Cathedral at 8.15 p.m. Soloists include Judith Howlett, Phillipa Reade, Raphael Caccioppoli and Richard Weston.  Admission is by programme, available from Cox World Travel, Dalton Street, Napier or the Cathedral Office, Church Lane, Napier. Adults $15; Students $6.

1994 – The Year in Retrospect

A busy year which began with a large contingent of singers performing Verdi’s Requiem with Luciano Pavarotti in Australia. This was a magnificent experience for all involved and a real ‘feather in the cap’ for the Napier Civic Choir to have been invited to participate. As part of the World Festival Choir, some of us will travel to Japan to perform the Requiem in 1995.

May Concert

The May concert was Handel’s “Dixit Dominus” and Haydn’s “Nelson Mass”.

July Concert

In a much lighter vein with the Port of Napier Brass Band, featuring music from the USA, as a celebration of American Independence Day.

The choir enjoyed the change – as it is hoped you did. It is always interesting to sing different musical works.

Hallelujah for Hospices

On 8 October New Zealand was the first country to participate in singing Handel’s Messiah in a worldwide fundraising event for Hospices. Combined choirs from Hawke’s Bay sang to an appreciative audience.

October Concert

The beautiful “Requiem” by Gabriel Faure, plus a very contemporary work by Andrew Carter called “Benedicite” based on the song of praise sung by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they stood in the fiery furnace.

This was Napier Civic Choir’s first performance of this work, which was challenging and hugely enjoyable. If you missed this, make sure you hear it next time.

Excerpts from Barry Fell’s review of the October concert:

Magnificent sound from Combined Choirs.   St John’s Cathedral was filled with some of the most magnificent musical sounds we have heard for a long time, with the combining of the Napier Civic Choir and the Auckland Choral Society, along with the choir of St Patrick’s Intermediate School.

Those who did attend this concert must have been delighted with this performance. It certainly warranted a larger audience and those who did not have the chance of hearing it, really missed a treat.

Our long association with the Auckland Choral Society will continue when we combine to sing “Elijah” in Auckland next year when the soloist will be Dame Malvina Major.

New Choir Members

We would welcome new singers. You don’t have to be a “Diva” – a genuine enjoyment of choral music and a good ear is all you need. For more information please ring:

Gary Bowler
Isobel Bluck
Neville Pearce

SUBSCRIBERS – SAVE OVER 33%

What an exciting offer!! Thank you to our current subscribers – we appreciate your continued support. However, we would really welcome new subscribers. A $30 subscription entitles you to attend all the listed concerts. Come and hear choral music at its best. For your convenience a form is attached. Please send this to Mrs H Temple, Napier. A subscription ticket will be issued in the New Year.

NEXT YEAR’S PROGRAMME

2 April   ‘REQUIEM ‘ by John Rutter

‘TE DEUM’ and other music by internationally renowned, Napier born composer, David Hamilton

16 July   ‘ELIJAH’ by Mendelssohn

10 December   Christmas Concert including Britten’s ‘St Nicolas’ for choir and children’s chorus

Finally a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL

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