‘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
Hi, I am Katherine Hong - Alto 1, joined Auckland Choral in the early 2016. I am crazy about 18th and 19th century classical music and dreamt one day I could sing "Messiah" in a symphonic choir. And now not only I sing "Messiah" but also have lots of opportunities to sing other beautiful and heavenly music which I never dreamt that dream. No single rehearsal I want to miss.
Like so many contraltos, I first got put in the alto section as a school girl because I could read music and manage to sing a line of harmony. I joined Auckland Choral when I was in high school and now I’ve been a member for 40 years! I started singing with my mum as a toddler, sitting on her knee while she played the piano and sang soprano and tenor Messiah arias. I used to come to Auckland Choral’s Saturday dress rehearsals in the Town Hall and follow the score in my early teenage years, and it was a natural step to join Mum in the choir when I was 15. I remember Choral Hall in Airedale Street where we used to meet (before Mayoral Drive was built). It was a dusty old building and freezing in winter, but the ladies in the alto section were very kind to me and welcomed me into the back row. Nothing really changes in that respect; the Auckland Choral altos today are a great bunch of people as well!
Lisa has been in the choir since 1974 with the exception of a couple of years when she was busy with small children.
