‘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
Helen Gremillion is a researcher and teacher at Unitec Institute of Technology, and she also heads up research professional development activities for Unitec staff members. She lives in Mt. Albert with her partner Nigel and daughter Ellie. She’s been a member of Auckland Choral since 2009.
I joined late last year in the Soprano 1 section, and am currently Auckland Choral’s youngest member, at 14 years old. Born and raised in Auckland, I have worked with professional music companies such as New Zealand Opera, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Opera Factory, and others. Auckland Choral rehearsals are generally the highlight of my week. In 2015 I gained first place in Opera Factory’s Idol competition. This year in the Aria international vocal competition, I came 1st in two of the four categories available. Outside of music, I study in year 10 at Kristin School in Albany, and I play flute and piano. 
Hi, I’m Alison Miller. I have been singing all my life, as both my parents had good voices, and we followed in their footsteps. I’ve sung in both church and community choirs, but when I was a pupil in the EGGS choir, we sang the third chorus part in St Matthew Passion in the Town Hall with Ray Wilson conducting and I was smitten. Years later when we returned to Auckland, and heard Auckland Choral singing Brubeck’s Light in the Wilderness in 1969, I knew I had to belong to this magnificent choir.. I joined in 1970 as a soprano 1, and have been a member since then, with the first concert being Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, with 6 weeks rehearsal time. 
