Faure's Requiem

Tauranga was treated to a gourmet of choral music in Baycourt last evening as part of the 2009 Tauranga Arts Festival.

Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr Karen Grylls, presented repertoire by Henry Purcell and Benjamin Britten in the first half. Purcell’s Music for a While, a choral improvisation, was a most effective introduction with choir members placed throughout the auditorium, providing surround sound.

I was glad, with its vital contrapuntal section, indicated the quality of choral singing that was in store. Blend, tone, dynamics, clarity of diction, it was all there, immersing the audience in a sea of vocal excellence.

Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin, with an antiphonal quartet placed near the rear of the auditorium, was sheer bliss.

New Zealand composer Anthony Ritchie’s arrangement of Purcell’s Olinda with its tasteful harmonies led on to Britten’s Five Flower Songs. These encompass a wide range of vocal colour and dynamic, a tribute to Dr Grylls’ choral direction and interpretation.

Opus Orchestra joined the choir to present Faure’s Requiem under the direction of Dr Peter Walls. This orchestral arrangement by John Rutter, adhered to Faure’s original instrumentation by not using violins apart from the occasional solo. The performance was exquisite. The exhilarating Hosanna in Sanctus, Pepe Becker’s performance of Pie Jesu, the magical horns in Agnus Dei, the fiery Dies Irae in Libera Me and the tranquillity of In Paradisum were capped off when the audience held their applause for a few seconds of silence at the end.

Congratulations to all involved for a world-class performance.