Choirs bring soldiers’ WWI experiences to life

4 April 2017

Choirs bring soldiers’ WWI experiences to life in ANZACs concert

New Zealand soldiers’ experiences in the trenches of the First World War will fill Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral as part of the ANZACs Concert of Commemoration later this month.

ANZACs: A Generation Lost in Legend is the first large-scale musical setting of New Zealand war poetry. The music will be performed by three choirs – the Graduate Choir New Zealand, Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir and the Cathedral Choristers – with vocal soloists, brass quintet, violin, organ and percussion, all conducted by Terence Maskell.

“Make entreaty for the Stretcher-Bearer heavy laden with the bitter fruits of war” – the plaintive words of returned serviceman Donald H. Lea – will be sung by the young girls and boys of the Cathedral Choristers.

Composer Janet Jennings was given Donald Lea’s poem about the legendary WWI stretcher-bearers by his granddaughter. Lea’s words inspired her to look for more New Zealand war poetry to set to music for a WW100 commemorative project.

“I went straight to Mike Subritzky, our best known war poet,” says Jennings. “He is a Veteran and his words have a stark authenticity. I was delighted when he said I could set a poem of his to music for this commemorative event.”

Jennings also found an unlikely source of poetry to add to the text – two poems that were written in a young woman’s autograph book by New Zealand soldiers leaving for the front in 1914.

Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir Director Michael Stoddart says he is delighted to have the opportunity to work with new music by a New Zealand composer.

“This is a very moving and appropriate ANZACs tribute. As well as three choirs and three vocal soloists, we have the splendid new cathedral organ, and a range of instruments. It’s very dramatic and the cathedral will be filled with wonderful sounds.”

ANZACs: A Generation Lost in Legend features young vocal soloists, soprano Anna Mahon and baritone Jonathan Eyers, both of whom studied with Dame Malvina Major at Waikato University, and tenor Manase Latu, currently studying at Auckland University.

Jennings says it is important that the soloists are young because the music requires them to sing “in role”. They take the parts of young soldiers and a girl mourning their absence.

The choirs and soloists are accompanied by some of Auckland finest instrumentalists, the Auckland Brass Quintet led by Huw Dann, violinist Joe Harrop, percussionist Eric Renick, and organist Michael Stoddart.

The audience will also have the opportunity to hear NZ music by Chris Artley and David Hamilton and some much loved traditional music for choirs by Fauré, Ireland and Parry.

What: ANZACs – A Concert of Commemoration, featuring the New Zealand Première of ANZACs – a Generation Lost in Legend.

Where: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell.

When: Saturday 22 April, 7.30pm. Tickets available at www.iticket.co.nz and the door.

© Scoop Media