Mendelssohn’s Elijah has been described as ‘more of an opera than an oratorio’. Intensely theatrical, it calls for a substantial orchestra, a large line-up of soloists, and a chorus that has both power and sensitivity.
The work was a smash hit at its first performance in 1846 before two thousand people in Birmingham’s Town Hall — a building whose interior is very similar in size and layout to the Auckland Town Hall.
Be prepared for the widest range of musical emotions, from the thrilling, ceremonial battle of “Baal We Cry to Thee” to the soft, three-part gem of “Lift thine Eyes”. Elijah is nothing less than the lifetime journey of a soul.
Jennifer Barrington Soprano
Helen Medlyn Mezzo
Martin Buckigham Tenor
Martin Snell Bass
Auckland Choral
Pipers Sinfonia
Uwe Grodd Conductor
Saturday 2 September 7.30pm
Auckland Town Hall
Hi, I’m Neil Hawkes - I have been singing for a while: Tewkesbury Abbey choir from the ages of 5 to 30yrs, then a variety of English choirs before coming to NZ. When I arrived in Auckland I sang with the Choral Society, then with the Anglican Cathedral Choir and the Graduate Choir, before being stopped by a heart condition (since fixed 100%).
I think I’ve been singing my entire life and life without singing is a little empty. I’ve sung in choirs since Primary School and with churches. I’ve sung in bands, concerts and on stage. Nowadays I sing in operas, concerts, and for the last few years with Auckland Choral. I have sung in the US, Canada, with Symphony orchestras in Australia and New Zealand, with opera companies in Australia and New Zealand. There is nothing more magical, inspiring, uplifting and energising than when you are making absolutely beautiful music with the entire team of musicians and giving enjoyment to many, to transport the listeners into their own world of music and fantasy. For those times where I resonate with the words, the composer or story – then words cannot express that amazingness, but music can! I have chills by the time I am finished Handel’s Messiah and that is my icing on the cake every year thanks to Auckland Choral.
Hi! I’m Albert Wilson, and joined Auckland Choral in 2018, as a Tenor. 
