Gisborne Choral Society to go it alone for Mozart’s Mass in C Minor performance in April

Gisborne Choral Society is to present Mozart's Mass in C Minor at St Andrew's Church on April 6 and is looking for new voices to join its regulars.

Here comes February again! Here comes Mozart again!

So begins a letter from Gisborne Choral Society musical director Gavin Maclean to choral society members and others who might be interested in joining for rehearsals of the Mozart masterpiece the Mass in C minor.

“People could be forgiven for thinking this is a case of déjà vu,” choral society president Mary-Jane Richmond said.

“We started rehearsing this work last year, preparing for a performance with Hastings Choral Society in Hastings and one in Gisborne with the two choirs.”

But circumstances changed and Gisborne decided to delay until this year and go it alone for a performance in St Andrew’s Church on April 6.

Rehearsals begin on Monday at St Andrew’s at 7.30pm. This is a historic change after 56 years of practices on Tuesdays.

The society has engaged the services of a guest organist and tenor soloist, who were able to accommodate the change of performance date.

“We are very grateful for help with expenses for this concert from the Gisborne District Council-administered Creative Communities fund,” Richmond said.

“Those of us who have sung this work before, or who started rehearsals with us last year, know what a wonderful piece it is, but we would welcome newcomers to find out for themselves.”

The programme will also feature Dvorak’s Te Deum.

Maclean is planning weekend rehearsals from the start to give some extra help to different sections of the choir. These typically are just an hour, and timing is flexible to fit around other activities.

• Gisborne Choral Society rehearsals for Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Dvorak’s Te Deum, Monday, February 3, 7.30pm, St Andrew’s Church, corner of Cobden St and Childers Rd.