City Choir Dunedin Presents Joyeux Noël! French Music For Christmas

City Choir Dunedin will present a French-themed concert, Joyeux Noël!, in Knox Church on Friday 6 December as a celebration of Christmas, giving the French repertoire of familiar and lesser-known music an airing.

We are particularly happy to welcome back Robert Tucker as one of five soloists. Raised in Dunedin, Robert completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Otago and spent time in Australia and the United Kingdom before returning home to New Zealand in 2012, where he has forged a career in both Australia and New Zealand.

“Robert Tucker is wildly talented. In a conventional part, his deliciously resonant baritone warms your cockles, and his charismatic and sensitive characterisation brings a part to life. He is, truly, a brilliant operatic star” – from a recent review in The Wellingtonista.

Robert is joined by four other exceptional soloists: soprano Cathy Highton-Sim, mezzo-sopranos Tessa Romano and Claire Barton and tenor Alex McAdam. An exquisite solo quintet features in Delalande’s “Christe Redemptor Omnium” which he composed in 1690 and which is sung in Latin. The concert includes traditional Provençal melodies like “Patapan” and “Berger, secoue ton sommeil profonde”, and stunning choral pieces by Francis Poulenc such as “Hodie Christus natus est” and “O magnum mysterium”.

Also on the programme are excerpts from Camille Saint-Saëns' “Oratorio de Noël” and selections from Hector Berlioz's “L’enfance du Christ”, including the poignant “L’adieu des bergers à la Sainte Famille”. The audience will be able to enjoy the well-known, beloved “Cantique de Noël” ("O Holy Night") by Adolphe Adam, and much more. The beautiful music for this concert spans from the 17th to the 20th centuries and genres from the Baroque to late Romantic as well as traditional Christmas carols.

Under the masterful baton of David Burchell, City Choir will present the concert together with a Dunedin Symphony Orchestra ensemble, organist Micah Xiang and the five soloists.

This will be an exhilarating concert offering peace and joy to the audience this Christmas.

Event Details:
What: City Choir Dunedin presents Joyeux Noël! French music for Christmas
Conductor: David Burchell
Soloists: Cathy Highton-Sim, Tessa Romano, Claire Barton, Alex McAdam, Robert Tucker
Featuring: Dunedin Symphony Orchestra ensemble, Micah Xiang organist
When: Friday 6 December 2024, at 7:30 pm
Where: Knox Church, George Street, Dunedin
Tickets: Available at MusicWorks, Lower Stuart Street (cash only), online via the Eventfinda website, or phone 0800 289 849

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