Reimaginings

Ever wondered what happens when brilliant composers reinvent absolute perfection? Auckland chamber choir Viva Voce's upcoming concert Reimaginings explores exactly that: stunning 'choral transmogrifications' that that cast classic works in an entirely new light.

It all began when VV conductor John Rosser first heard Roderick Williams' Ave verum corpus Re-imagined (after Byrd) and understood – despite some initial scepticism – how thrilling such a remake could be. That spark led him to Owain Park's Miserere after Allegri, an astonishing take on the Sistine Chapel masterpiece that, in a true feat of reimagination, weaves a saxophone quartet into the choral texture.

Viva Voce then commissioned two of NZ's finest composers to write their own rehashes. David Hamilton delivers a radiant new version of Victoria's O magnum mysterium, while Anthony Ritchie offers a hilariously clever reworking of Schumann's Fröhlicher Landmann, set to the topical poem OK Boomer. VV's own Mark Rosser bathes Ain'-a that good news! in a veritable sea of other spiritual tunes.

To top it off, VV will perform Paul Drayton's spectacular choral setting of Vaughan Williams' pastoral masterwork The Lark Ascending, with the virtuosic Yanghe Yu playing the iconic violin solo.

Join Viva Voce on Sunday 2 August at 4pm in St Matthew-in-the-City for a concert of reimaginative choral treasures. Do stay afterwards for a chat over a (free) cuppa and early supper!