Auckland Choral (formally the Auckland Choral Society) is a choir based in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is New Zealand's oldest surviving arts organisation and Auckland's only symphonic-scale choir. Founded in 1855, Auckland Choral celebrated its 150th anniversary in November 2005 with a choral piece written especially for the choir by New Zealand composer David Hamilton. In 2015, Auckland Choral celebrated its 160th anniversary. The choir's current music director is Professor Uwe Grodd. Auckland Choral - singing pic

Auckland Choral profile

Auckland Choral is a symphonic-scale choir of 100+ voices. It is Auckland's oldest and most prominent choir, and continues to play a significant role in Auckland's arts scene today. Its members are wide-ranging in age and cultural and professional background. Members rehearse weekly throughout the year and the choir regularly accepts new members following a thorough audition process. The current music director is Professor Uwe Grodd. The current assistant music director is Elizabeth Lau. Auckland Choral sings a wide variety of works from the choral canon. Notable recent performances include Beethoven's ''Missa Solemnis'', Paul Winter's ''Missa Gaia'' and Handel's ''Israel in Egypt''. Auckland Choral sings in locations around Auckland, including the

Auckland Town Hall Auckland Town Hall is an Edwardian building on Queen Street in the Auckland CBD, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions (such as Council meetings and hearings), as well as its famed Great Hall and ...

and the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell. The choir frequently collaborates with orchestras from the Auckland region, including the

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) is a symphony orchestra based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its principal concert venue is the Auckland Town Hall. The APO is the accompanying ensemble for performances by NZ Opera and the Royal New Zeal ...

and Piper's Sinfonia.

Auckland Choral and Handel's ''Messiah''

The choir is well known for its annual Christmas performances of Handel's ''Messiah''. In 2018, Auckland Choral will mark the milestone of 100 consecutive annual Christmas performances of ''Messiah''. Auckland Choral sang its first full performance of ''Messiah'' on 17 December 1857 at the Mechanics’ Institute Hall in Auckland. This is believed to have been the first performance of the oratorio in

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

. Auckland Choral's initial run of consecutive annual performances was interrupted only in 1918, when the outbreak of the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

in New Zealand led to a prohibition on public gatherings.

Auckland Choral Foundation

Auckland Choral is supported by the Auckland Choral Foundation, a charitable trust established to ensure the long-term success of Auckland Choral by providing capital growth and income to support its activities.

References

External links

Auckland Choral Website
History of Auckland Musical groups from Auckland Choral societies Musical groups established in 1855 1855 establishments in New Zealand {{NewZealand-org-stub