Renaissance Singers to pay homage to four Palmerston North composers

Jonathan Berkahn is a composer, performer, educator, accompanist, soloist, chamber musician and choral conductor. Photo / Supplied

There is something about a full-throated church organ with bass notes that are visceral in the way they are felt as much as they are heard, together with lilting upper notes that appear to hang in space as others resonate with them like auditory waterfalls.

When a choir is added, the mix of sound is simply special. As those who have heard will attest, the Vienna Boys Choir with the organ in St Stephen's in Vienna, or the choir with the organ singing Vespers in the Dome in Berlin, or the boy sopranos with the organ in King's College Cambridge, the sound is special.

It just so happens the Renaissance Singers, conducted by Christine Archer-Lockwood with Jonathan Berkahn on the organ in St Peter's Church, can produce those same sounds here in Palmerston North.

The Renaissance Singers have heeded the call to help celebrate Palmerston North's 150 years by creating a concert paying homage to Palmerston North's choral composers. The city has accomplished composers who have won competitions and fellowships and who truly deserve acknowledgment.

The Renaissance Singers will be celebrating by performing the works of four of them. They will have help with flautist Diana Neild, saxophonist Stephanie McKenzie, mezzo soprano Cecily Shaw, soprano Nadya Slack, tenor Nigel Tongs, and bass baritone Lindsay Yeo. Guy Donaldson will also be heard on piano with Jonathan Berkahn in his familiar spot in the organ loft.

Berkahn penned A Hopkins Gloria based on two of the poems of the renowned Gerard Manley Hopkins who "invented" sprung rhythm, the first foray into the world of a poetic form that allowed the synonyms themselves to create the rhythmic shape.

In introducing a saxophone playing Riverdance-like elements, Berkahn has acknowledged Hopkins' Celtic association - Englishman Hopkins spoke fluent Welsh and lived in Dublin.

The late Helen Caskie was passionate about social justice and was aptly chosen by the Palmerston North Choral Society to write music to celebrate 100 years of women's emancipation in New Zealand. The Renaissance Singers present the seven songs Caskie wrote to celebrate the spirit of women, involving a flute, mezzo soprano, soprano, tenor, bass and choir. The melody in her Wisdom of Solomon will likely linger.

Tim Devlin is a current choir member of the Renaissance Singers. His curiosity led him to Papers Past and the 1877 editions of the Manawatu Times. He discovered what we now consider to be quirky advertisements, articles, and letters to the editor that created, in Devlin's mind, their own musical representations. Devlin makes use of a flute, saxophone and organ together with the choir to bring these old Palmerston North newspaper snippets to life.

The organ is given full rein by Palmerston North composer Graham Parsons to mix organ with voice to create harmonies that are felt as well as heard.

All these composers have written their pieces for four-part choirs with parts occasionally splitting to add even more texture. Parsons' Anniversary Mass was commissioned by the Renaissance Singers to celebrate their 40th jubilee.

The Details
What: Squaring Up
When: Saturday, October 16, 7.30pm
Where: St Peter's Church
Tickets: $25, concession $20, at the door