Music For A While

Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir celebrates the glorious tradition of English choral music in a programme featuring its finest exponents.

It is the 350th anniversary of Purcell’s birth, and Voices will perform some of his great choral anthems: “Hear my prayer”, “Remember not, Lord, our offences”, and “Lord, how long” as well as his “Music for a while”, featuring the delicious Baroque voice of Pepe Becker backed by the choir’s improvisations.

Purcell’s influence has persisted through time, even inspiring 20th century artists as diverse as Queen and The Who. But probably the greatest tributes have come from the other composer on this programme, Benjamin Britten, whose superb vocal writing owes much to Purcell.

Britten spoke admiringly of what he called “the clarity, brilliance, tenderness and strangeness which shines out in all Purcell’s music”.

Those are words that Voices Artistic Director Dr Karen Grylls says apply equally to Britten’s own work.

Of all English composers, Britten had perhaps the greatest gift for marrying words and music. His knowledge and love of English poetry have led to some of the most magical vocal music in the language. Voices will perform his “Five Flower Songs” and his “Sacred and Profane”, illuminating lyric treasures from medieval to Romantic times, as well as his “Hymn to St Cecilia” and “Hymn to the Virgin”.

Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir was formed in 1998 by Dr Karen Grylls, who searched out New Zealand’s top singers. It records regularly and has won gold at international choral competitions.

Event listed by VWOadmin

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