‘Simon O’Neill is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade’
The Telegraph
Auckland Choral is thrilled to welcome Simon O’Neill to perform alongside an outstanding line up of soloists. Fellow New Zealander Martin Snell, along with soprano Hyeseoung Kwon and mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Dark, will join Simon and the superb Auckland Philharmonia for our Gala concert of 2015.
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis was composed from the heart. Bold, passionate and challenging, Beethoven took inspiration from Handel’s Messiah to produce one of the greatest choral masterpieces of all time.
Hyeseoung Kwon, Soprano
Jacqueline Dark, Mezzo-Soprano
Simon O’Neill, Tenor
Martin Snell, Bass
Auckland Choral
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Uwe Grodd, Conductor
Saturday 31 October 7.30pm
Auckland Town Hall
Warwick brings over thirty years involvement in choral singing and over twenty years in management of choral organisations including Royal Christchurch Musical Society, Christchurch City Choir and over the last 23 years with Auckland Choral. He is a current singing member and past Chairman of nine years for the group.
I learnt to sing on my mother's knee and have been singing ever since! In school in Wales I sang in small and large choirs in the eisteddfod. As soon as I left school I joined a choral society and have always been a member of one choir or another. I joined Auckland Choral in 2006 and have been on the management committee for the last 2 years. Choral singing has given me opportunities to make and keep wonderful friends, to travel, to see magnificent buildings, to hear all the major works and many new compositions, and to be part of a fabulous music making machine, always striving to improve. I have sung Handel's Messiah in 4 continents, in 2016 clocked up my 70th Messiah, and I still love it. I am also a semi retired speech language therapist and enjoy spending time with my 5 grandchildren.
My earliest memories of singing were car songs, where my sisters and I were squashed in the back of the car while my mother lead the chorus from the front. I started singing in small groups and choirs at age 12 for church events and friends' weddings. I've been a member of some form of choir ever since and now count myself very lucky to be a member of Auckland Choral. I joined in January 2017, with my first concert being the huge St John Passion by Bach. We performed it at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, in German! Singing out that first loud "Herr" gave me goose bumps and was an unforgettable experience. In December that year I got to perform in the Messiah for the first time and hope to do the same every Christmas for a long time to come.
