Requiem call goes out

CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA: The Gisborne Choral Society and Gisborne Civic Orchestra are calling for singers and musicians respectively. Choir and orchestra joined forces under the baton of Gavin Maclean last year to perform Karl Jenkins’ modern mass to peace, The Armed Man. Picture by Brennan Thomas

NEWCOMERS and former members are invited to join Gisborne Choral Society on Tuesday to begin practice for one of the greatest of all works for choir and orchestra, Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem.

Described as a lush, romantic piece with soaring melodies and jubilant fugues, the 19th century composer’s requiem is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, a soprano and a baritone soloist.

The work is set to words chosen by Brahms who was something of an agnostic, says choir leader Gavin Maclean.

A German Requiem is not the usual Latin Requiem, he says.

The choir will combine with Hastings Choral Society; with an orchestra made up of Napier’s Concord Ensemble, Gisborne Civic Orchestra and organist Gary Bowler.

Joseph Christensen of Hastings will conduct, and soprano and baritone solos will be sung by Catherine Macdonald and Gavin Maclean.

The Gisborne performance is scheduled for Sunday, May 1, and Hastings a fortnight later.

Rehearsals begin on Tuesday, 7.30pm-9.30pm in St Andrew’s Community Centre.

A German Requiem will be the first project for the Gisborne Choral Society’s 50th anniversary.