Camerata Chamber Choir: Pyramid Songs

Camerata Chamber Choir presents an Egyptian themed concert.

Part I of Handel’s 1739 oratorio ‘Israel in Egypt’ opens the concert, telling the biblical story of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt, the rise of Moses their liberator, the plagues upon the Egyptians, and their escape by crossing the Red Sea. With libretto taken from the book of Exodus, Handel uses voices in double choir formation to create some of his most colourful ‘word painting’, mimicking the Biblical plagues — from frogs to flies and locusts, crashing hailstones, eerie darkness and more.

A New Zealand premiere of a set of Egyptian folk songs in Arabic, arranged for choir by Cairo musician Nayer Nagui, offers a contrasting window into an indigenous perspective. ‘Go Down Moses’, the well-known African-American spiritual, uses the Exodus story as a metaphor for their own struggle for freedom. Modern Egypt-inspired music also features, with a meditative reflection on mortality and myth from Radiohead and a classic 80s pop hit from The Bangles.

David Gordon conducts Camerata accompanied by pianist Megan Quatermass and organist Edmond Wong.

Spanning thousands of years and multiple genres, this eclectic concert has both interest and wide appeal — don’t miss it!

Remember to bring cash for raffle tickets ($5 for 3 tickets) for a chance to win a basket of treats, and we invite you to enjoy supper with the choir after the concert.

Tickets: $30 online, $10 students, children under 13 years free.

Tickets are also available at the door for $35 (cash only and subject to availability).