Maana E Whakarewa: Raising Voices in Song

CONCERT PROGRAMME


Hamilton Civic Choir -Musical Director: Elise Bradley, MNZM
Collaborative Pianist: Francis Cowan
Guest Conductor: Dr. Karen Grylls, CNZM
Guest Conductor: Maria Colvin
St Peter’s Cathedral Choir- Director of Music : Dr Rachael Grifiths-Hughes, MNZM
Organist: Anne Cleaver



Requiem In D Minor
G. Faurรฉ
St Peter’s Cathedral Choir
&
Hamilton Civic Choir

Conducted by: Elise Bradley MNZM
Organ: Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM
Soprano: Gabriella Schuitemaker
Baritone: Robert Abbel


Kyrie From ‘Nelson Mass’
F.J Haydn

Hamilton Civic Choir
Conducted by:Elise Bradley MNZM
Piano: Francis Cowan

A Star Shall Rise Up out of Jacob
F. Mendelssohn

Hamilton Civic Choir
Conducted by: Dr Karen Grylls CNZM
Piano: Francis Cowan

Here is the River
F. Byett

Hamilton Civic Choir
Guest Conductor: Maria Colvin
Piano: Francis Cowan

Magnificat
E. Daley

Conductor: Elise Bradley MNZM
Organ: Francis Cowan

Theme and Variations
H. Andriessen

Organ Solo: Anne Cleaver


Gloria from Communion Setting in F
H. Darke


St Peter’s Cathedral Choir
Conductor Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM
Organ: Anne Cleaver

Sanctus and Benedictus from Echo Mass
J. Jennings

St Peter’s Cathedral Choir
Conductor: Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM

Agnus Dei from Missa Aeterna Christi munera
G. Palestrina

St Peter’s Cathedral Choir
Conductor: Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM

Beati Quorum
C.V Stanford

St Peter’s Cathedral Choir
Conductor: Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM

My Spirit Sang All Day
G.Finzi

St Peter’s Cathedral Choir & Hamilton Civic Choir
Conductor: Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM

Let All the World in Every Corner Sing
R. Vaughan-Williams

St Peter’s Cathedral Choir & Hamilton Civic Choir
Conductor: Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM
Piano: Francis Cowan

PROGRAMME NOTES

Requiem in D Minor
G. Faurรฉ 1845-1924

Gabriel Faurรฉ (1845-1924), our featured composer, revealed his musical talent as a small child in rural southern France. Whenever he could get away from school, he would run to a nearby chapel to play on the harmonium, despite having no musical training. His father decided to educate him to become a church organist and choir director, so he enrolled nine-year-old Gabriel in a school in Paris that focused on intense training in religious music. There he met his most influential mentor, Camille Saint-Saรซns (1835-1921), who taught advanced piano and encouraged him to compose. Saint-Saรซns promoted Faurรฉ as principal organist at the Church of the Madeleine in Paris and later helped him become director of the Paris Conservatory. As both a composer and teacher, Faurรฉ served as a bridge from early 19th-century romanticism, through impressionism, to 20th-century modernism. Th e Requiem is undoubtedly Faurรฉโ€™s best-known work. It received its
first performance in the fashionable church of The Madeleine in Paris,
where Faurรฉ was choirmaster, on 16 January 1888. While two other
versions appeared in 1893 and 1900. While the Requiem is, in essence, a Mass for
the dead, Faurรฉ aimed to avoid any sense of dread and to evoke peace
and heavenly rest.

Kyrie from “Nelson Mass”
F.J. Haydn 1732-1809

Haydn called his mass Missa in Angustiis (Mass in a Time of Anxiety).  The previous year, Napoleon had defeated the Austrian armies and threatening Vienna, and then, in the summer of 1798, he had conquered the allied naval blockade and appeared set to attack Egypt.  Times were fraught and uncertain, but in mid-September, about a week before Haydn’s new mass was to be performed, word reached Vienna that the British Admiral Horatio Nelson had destroyed Napoleon’s fleet in a brilliant victory at Aboukir.  Exactly how or when Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis became popularly known as the Lord Nelson Mass is something that no one even at that time was able to say for certain, but surely the first listeners would have associated the terrifying trumpets and timpani of the opening Kyrie and the jubilant, dramatic music that followed with the political turmoil – and then the military victory – that was on everyone’s minds.  This version performed without the solos will be accompanied by XXXXXX

A Star Shall Rise Up Out of Jacob
F. Mendelssohn
1809-1847

“A star shall rise out of Jacob” (or “come forth from Jacob”) is a famous biblical prophecy found in Numbers 24:17 of the Old Testament. Spoken by the seer Balaam, it declares that a, “star and a scepter will arise from Israel” to bring victory, often interpreted as a messianic promise for a future king or ruler. The “star” and “scepter” are understood as symbols of royal authority, sovereignty, and divine power

Here is The River
Fergus Byett b.2000-

At a choir fundraising concert, chorister Liz Carpenter made the winning bid in an auction for a new choral composition by Fergus. Her partner, a keen reader of New Zealand poetry, had recently discovered Waikato karakia by Bob Orr, a poem reflecting on life alongside the Waikato River. With the poetโ€™s permission, we shared the text with Fergus, suggesting that he focus particularly on the poemโ€™s second half, which resonated deeply with them.

here is te awa
here is the Waikato our wandering mother
and here by the banks of
Kirikiriroa
I have sat down beside her.

Bob Orr wrote Waikato karakia during a residency at the University of Waikato. The full poem explores the river and its surroundings by day and by night; the excerpt set in Here is the River comes from its nocturnal section, where moonlight and stars โ€œweave tukutuku panels on the riverโ€. Images of a โ€œwaka with paddles of fireโ€ evoke the riverโ€™s past, while lovers walking โ€œarm in armโ€ connect the poem to the present day. Across successive generations, those living beside the Waikato experience the riverโ€™s flow as a constant presence in their lives, linking those who have gone before with those yet to come.

An especially striking feature of Orrโ€™s poem is its use of repetition, echoing the style of traditional karakia, in which key words or phrases recur to create resonance and emphasis. Repeated references to โ€œthe riverโ€ give the text a chant-like quality, grounding the poem in the enduring presence of te awa itself.

Eleanor Daleyโ€™s Magnificat is a luminous and expressive setting of the biblical song of Mary, blending lyrical melodies with rich choral textures. Written in Daleyโ€™s characteristic style โ€” both accessible and emotionally resonant โ€” the work moves between moments of quiet reflection and joyful exaltation. Its flowing lines and warm harmonies capture the wonder, humility, and hope at the heart of the text, making it a beloved contemporary addition to the choral repertoire.

Hendrik Andriessenโ€™s Theme and Variations for organ reflects the composerโ€™s gift for combining classical clarity with rich Romantic colour. One of the Netherlandsโ€™ most distinguished twentieth-century organists and composers, Andriessen was deeply influenced by French organ traditions, particularly the music of Cรฉsar Franck and Charles Tournemire. In this work, a simple, expressive theme is transformed through a series of contrasting variations, showcasing the organโ€™s wide palette of tone and character. By turns lyrical, meditative, and exuberant, the piece demonstrates Andriessenโ€™s masterful craftsmanship and his deep understanding of the instrumentโ€™s expressive possibilities.

Gloria from Communion Setting in F
H. Darke 1888-1976

Composed in 1926 for St Michaelโ€™s, Cornhill, Harold Darkeโ€™s Communion Service in F major is a masterpiece of early 20th-century Anglican music. The Gloria, a dramatic and robust setting of the eucharistic text, features dignified unison writing that serves as a powerful supplication. Though part of a smaller overall output, the service is renowned for its blend of traditional English choral style and profound theological sensitivity

Sanctus and Benedictus from Echo Mass
J. Jennings

This short a cappella setting of the Ordinary of the Mass comprises settings of the ‘Kyrie’, ‘Gloria’, ‘Sanctus & Benedictus’, and ‘Agnus Dei’. It is a Missa Brevis (short mass setting with the ‘Creed’ omitted) suitable for liturgical use or concert use. The work is written for unaccompanied SATB choir. It is a charming setting featuring, as its title suggest, imitative echo effects between sections of the choir.

Agnus Dei from Missa Aeterna Christi munera 
G Palestrina 1525-1594

Published in 1590 in his fifth book of Masses, Missa Aeterna Christi munera is a prime example of Palestrinaโ€™s mature styleโ€”concise, serene, and melodic. It is a “paraphrase” mass, meaning its melodic material is derived from a pre-existing plainsong: the hymn for Matins of Apostles and Evangelists, Aeterna Christi munera. This setting is highly regarded for its “classic simplicity,” featuring a four-voice SATB structure for most movements

Beati quorum 
C.V. Stanford 1852-1924

Charles Villiers Stanfordโ€™s “Beati quorum via” (Op. 38, No. 3) is a celebrated, meditative motet for unaccompanied six-part choir (SSATBB) composed around 1892. It is the final and most famous of his Three Motets, setting Latin text from Psalm 119:1 on righteous walking. Known for its lyrical, pastoral style, it often showcases antiphonal effects between upper and lower voices. [1, 2, 3]

My Spirit Sang All Day
G.Finzi 1901-1956


Gerald Finziโ€™s My Spirit Sang All Day (1929) is a vibrant, joyous part-song for mixed voices, that celebrates the bliss of young love. It is the third in his Seven Poems of Robert Bridges, op. 17, featuring rapid, shifting harmonies, a brisk tempo, and a repeating “O my joy” refrain that showcases Finzi’s intimate connection to English lyric poetry

Let All the World In Every Corner Sing
R. Vaughan-Williams 1872-1958


Ralph Vaughan Williamsโ€™s Let All the World in Every Corner Sing is a jubilant setting of a text by the seventeenth-century poet and priest George Herbert. Composed in Vaughan Williamsโ€™s unmistakable style, the anthem combines energetic rhythms, broad melodic lines, and rich harmonies to create music of exuberant praise. The recurring refrain, โ€œThe church with psalms must shout,โ€ gives the work its triumphant character, while the contrasting quieter passages provide moments of warmth and reflection. Widely loved in both church and concert settings, the piece captures Vaughan Williamsโ€™s gift for blending English literary and musical traditions into music of stirring vitality and joy.

BIOGRAPHIES

Elise Bradley, MNZM

Musical Director


Francis Cowan

Collaborative Pianist


Karen Grylls, CNZM

Guest Conductor


Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes, MNZM

Conductor St Peter’s Cathedral Choir and Organist


Maria Colvin

Guest Conductor

 Anne Cleaver-Holm

Organist

Gabriella Schuitemaker

Soprano

Robert Abbel

Baritone

St Peter’s Cathedral Choir

CHOIR MEMBERS

Hamilton Civic Choir

Sopranos


Altos


Tenors


Basses

*Member not singing in the current concert

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPECIAL THANKS

Ngaa mihi nui to our sponsors:


Sincere thanks to our generous donors, these contributions have been essential in enabling the choir to stage varied and interesting concerts:


The Hamilton Civic Choir committee would like to especially thank:

  • Members of St Peter’s Cathedral Choir, their Musical Director Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes and organist Anne Cleaver-Holm for joining us in this collaboration
  • The Administration team at St Peter’s cathedral Hamilton for their help in organising this event
  • Choir members and friends involved in staging set up and take down, which involves coming early and staying late…and beyond
  • Choir members who have volunteered their baking or buying skills to help supply for our after-concert supper, and thanks to Kath Barnsley & the Cathedral for the tea and coffee!
  • All the members of the choir for their enthusiasm and hard work in preparing for the concert โ€“ without their commitment and involvement, there would be no choir ๐Ÿ’›

Weโ€™re grateful to our supporters for making this concert possible:

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