Two very special concerts are occurring in April and May here on the Kāpiti Coast, each one featuring a southern hemisphere premiere.
The first date is Sunday 17 April, when the Kāpiti Chamber Choir will do an all-American programme featuring Randall Thompson’s stunningly beautiful Alleluia, the very lovely Frostiana (based on poems of Robert Frost), and the southern hemisphere debut of Robert Hanson’s Psalms of David. This major work showcases the solo voices of Simon Christie and Olivia Sheat. This concert will feature an orchestra, and will be a very emotive experience from beginning to end.
The second date, and equally if not more exciting, is the Kāpiti Chorale’s concert on Sunday 1 May, when they present Robert Hanson’s Hiawatha.
This epic oratorio will tell the story of the great American Indian chief and legend, with a large orchestra and a special children’s choir (led by Bridget O’Shanassy) accompanying the Chorale and nine soloists. The show will feature the beautiful voices of Imogen Thirlwall, Ellen Barrett, Jamie Young, Roger Wilson, Derek Miller, William McElwee, Elisabeth Harris, Brenda Vale and John Strode-Penny in this rhythmically exciting telling of the Longfellow ode. Those in attendance will long remember this performance.
Tickets for either concert are $30 for adults, and both concerts will be presented at Paraparaumu College on Mazengarb Road in Paraparaumu. The Chamber Choir concert is at 2:30 pm, the Chorale concert is at 3:00 pm.
The composer Robert Hanson and his wife will be present for both concerts, making the trip from the US for these two weeks.
Seating is limited, so please get your tickets soon if you are interested. Also please pass this along to anyone else you know who might want to experience one or both of these special events.
