Good evening and welcome to our performance of Joseph Haydn’s The Creation.
We’ve always aspired to make our performances compelling and emotionally charged. But we are also keen to innovate and look at the works we perform through a different lens. In this spirit, tonight’s performance will feature stunning special effects, dancers from Footnote New Zealand Dance, and a cinematic LED screen that enhances the narrative of our universe’s formation.
The choir is very excited to be bringing this additional element to our performance and our thanks go to everyone involved in making it possible, particularly our financial supporters (featured later in the programme), our invaluable staff and volunteers and you our audience. I’d particularly like to acknowledge the mastery of our music director Brent Stewart, whose artistic vision keeps us striving for more.
We're delighted to have finalised a blockbuster 2025 programme. We start the year in March with a 2025 update of our highly popular ‘Colossal Chorale’ concert, firstly at the Fringe Festival and then on tour to the Coastlands Theatre and Carterton Event Centre in April. Next come two guest appearances with Orchestra Wellington in June and July in the finales of two extraordinary works – these are still under wraps, but you won't be disappointed.
The big news of our 2025 season is that we are partnering with Auckland Choral in two performances of ‘O Fortuna’ a week apart in Wellington and Auckland. As you can guess from the title, these concerts will feature Orff’s rumbustious Carmina Burana. But we've added Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms for good measure. Then, what better way to round out the year than with another joint venture production with Orchestra Wellington of Handel's Messiah.
Now, please sit back and revel in the high drama of Haydn's masterpiece ... reimagined.
FRANCES MANWARING
CHAIR, ORPHEUS CHOIR WELLINGTON
Joseph Haydn
THE CREATION
Brent Stewart Conductor • Orchestra Wellington
Anna Leese Soprano • Frederick Jones Tenor • Robert Tucker Bass
This concert is being recorded by Radio New Zealand Concert for future broadcast
AIRU MATSUDA/JEMIMA SMITH DANCERS
JOSEPH HAYDN & THE CREATION
THE CREATOR
Joseph Haydn achieved what few artists do: fame and commercial success during his life and enduring critical regard after it.
He was born in 1732 in Rohrau, a small town on the Austria-Hungary border. His family was poor, but thanks to the intervention of a cousin, six-year-old Joseph was sent to school and received musical training singing in the St Stephens Cathedral choir in Vienna.
The young Haydn progressed rapidly in several instruments and had a particularly beautiful voice. He was praised for his studious diligence, but he was also rather a troublemaker, receiving "more thrashings than food”. Indeed, he was considered for the surgeon's knife and a castrato’s life, but was found to be – rather prematurely – “already susceptible to the charms of women”.
In 1749 Haydn's voice broke, curtailing his musical education and for the next decade he eked out a
living as a professional musician. His breakthrough came in 1761 when he was appointed vice-Kapellmeister to the Esterházy family.
The Esterházys were the richest family in Hungary and when Prince Nicholas built a new castle in 1766 it was second only to Versailles among European palaces. The Prince was an enthusiastic patron and, recognising Haydn's potential, soon made him Kapellmeister. Haydn had control of the in-house orchestra and was to supply music for two concerts a week – ideal training for a composer. Haydn prospered through the 1770s and 80s. He quickly became known beyond the Esterházy court and was soon regarded as one of the leading composers of Europe. Highly innovative, Haydn became the leading developer of the emerging classical style, with its focus on new dramatic forms, melody, proportion and beauty. Mozart and Beethoven owe a great debt to the creative pathways Haydn forged,
When Prince Nicholas died in 1790, Haydn retained his position in the court but, with Nicholas's successor uninterested in music, found he was now free to travel. He went to London and was an instant success. He composed and conducted works to great acclaim and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. Importantly, he was no longer seen as a liveried servant but a gentleman, welcomed through the main entrance of the many grand houses he visited.
His financial success in England gave him a new artistic freedom. In 1795 he composed the last of his 104 symphonies. He turned to his true love, vocal music, and composed a series of choral masterpieces, including two oratorios – The Creation and The Seasons – and six great masses.
THE CREATION
During his first visit to London in 1791, Haydn heard performances of Handel’s oratorios including Messiah and Israel in Egypt. Impressed by the large orchestral and choral forces, Haydn was inspired to write his own.
Haydn’s choice of subject was guided by his London promoter, Johann Peter Salomon, who presented him with a libretto entitled The Creation of the World – said to have been written for Handel in the 1740s.
Haydn had the libretto translated into German and set the work simultaneously in German and English. Die Schöpfung/The Creation was first published, unusually for the time, in both languages.
There are three main sources for the text: Genesis chapter one, the Book of Psalms and Milton’s Paradise Lost. The structure of the libretto is modelled on Milton’s poem, in which the archangel Raphael describes to Adam and Eve how God, accompanied by angels and archangels, created the world in six days.
The role of Raphael is given to the bass soloist; there are two other archangels, Uriel (tenor), and Gabriel (soprano).
The work begins with chaos which is soon shattered by the creation of light. Evil spirits are frightened and fall into the deep abyss of endless night while on earth, “a new created world springs up at God’s command”. So ends the first day.
This pattern continues – each day beginning “And God said…”, with the text and music elaborating on God’s creative acts. This reaches its climax on day six with the creation of humankind –“Achieved is the glorious work”.
The concluding section of the oratorio is a description of life in paradise with the soprano and bass soloists now playing Adam and Eve.
Haydn’s music in the oratorio is many-faceted. He delights in picturesque musical descriptions: thunder and lightning as the sky is created, the foaming billows of the sea, the roar of the lion and the bounding of the tiger. In between, both the angelic and earthly voices unite in hymns praising the creator.
The work reflects the world view of Haydn’s time: the beauties of nature were a preoccupation of many artists, while Enlightenment philosophy held that the universe was an orderly place, whose natural laws were an expression of the divine creator.
Die Schöpfung was first performed in Vienna in 1799 and was an instant hit. Even when Haydn’s orchestral music fell out of popular favour in the 1800s, the oratorio was regularly performed. It is to the Germanspeaking world what Handel’s Messiah is to English speakers.
MOVEMENTS & PERFORMERS
Representation of chaos
In the beginning
PART THE FIRST
Introduction
Recitative (Bass) & Chorus
Now vanish before the holy beams/ Air (Tenor)/Chorus
Despairing cursing rage
And God made the firmament
The marv’llous work
And God said, let the waters
Rolling in foaming billows
And God said, let the earth
With verdure clad
And the heavenly host
Awake the harp
And God said, let there be lights
In splendour bright
The heavens are telling
And God said, let the waters
On mighty pens
Recitative (Bass)
Solo (Soprano) & Chorus
Recitative (Bass)
Air (Bass)
Recitative (Soprano)
Aria (Soprano)
Recitative (Tenor)
Chorus
Recitative (Tenor)
Recitative (Tenor)
Chorus
PART THE SECOND
Recitative (Soprano)
Air (Soprano)
And God created great whales
And the angels
Most beautiful appear
The Lord is great
And God said, let the earth bring forth
Straight opening
Now heaven in fullest glory shone
And God created man
Recitative (Bass)
Recitative (Bass)
Trio
Trio and Chorus
Recitative (Bass)
Recitative (Bass)
Air (Bass)
Recitative (Tenor)
In native worth Air (Tenor)
And God saw everything that he had made Recitative (Bass)
Achieved is the glorious work
On thee each living soul awaits
Achieved is the glorious work
In rosy mantle appears
By thee with bliss
Of stars the fairest
Chorus
Trio
Chorus
PART THE THIRD
Our duty we have now performed
Graceful consort
O happy pair
Praise the Lord, ye voices all
Introduction & Recitative (Tenor)
Duet and Chorus
Duet and Chorus
Recitative (Bass & Soprano)
Duet (Bass & Soprano)
Recitative (Tenor)
Chorus
ARTIST PROFILES
BRENT STEWART CONDUCTOR
Brent is a leading New Zealand conductor, percussionist and pianist. Conducting engagements last year included the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Orchestra Wellington, the Christchurch, Dunedin and Manukau Symphony Orchestras and St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra. Current posts include Music Director of Orpheus Choir Wellington, Assistant Conductor and Pianist of the NZ Secondary Students’ Choir, and Principal Percussion and Acting Section Principal Timpani of Orchestra Wellington.
A champion of local composers, Brent has premiered many percussion, orchestral, and choral works to critical acclaim, including Karlo Margetic’s Xylophone concerto with the APO in 2007, which he also recorded as soloist with the NZSO in 2008. Last year Brent was assistant conductor on Claire Cowan’s Cinderella with the Royal NZ Ballet and assistant producer on NZSO’s recording of her ballet, Hansel & Gretel. In 2021, Brent conducted the premiere of Red! by Lucy Mulgan with New Zealand Opera, and in 2023 conducted the world premiere of Dame Gillian Whitehead’s Ngā Whetū o Matariki with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra.
Brent’s diverse repertoire includes contemporary pop collaborations such as Synthony, performed around New Zealand and with Singapore’s Metropolitan Festival Orchestra.
He also recently conducted Benee live with the NZSO and was in Tokyo this year for a season of Phantom of the Opera.
ANNA LEESE SOPRANO
Anna Leese is a teaching fellow at the University of Waikato and a doctoral candidate at the University of Otago, where she is researching co-composition between singers and conductors in Aotearoa, NZ.
Anna has performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Classical Opera Company, Opera Köln, Flanders Opera, Opera Holland Park, Canadian Opera Company, and for New Zealand Opera, as well as representing New Zealand in Cardiff Singer of the World.
Most recently Anna has sung in: Strangest of Angels (New Zealand Opera); Mozart’s Requiem with New Zealand and Christchurch Symphony Orchestras; at the Adam Chamber Music Festival, Nelson; Wakatipu Festival, Queenstown; Ravel’s Scheherazade with Orchestra Wellington; Messiah with Queensland Symphony, NZSO and Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Society; The Governess (Turn of the Screw) with New Zealand Opera; and in ‘A Night at the Opera Gala’ with Dunedin Symphony Orchestra.
Anna’s recordings include Elgar’s The Apostles, a recital disc with Graham Johnson, and Haydn: ‘Italian Love Songs’.
TENOR
British born New Zealand tenor Frederick Jones completed the Opera Course of London’s Guildhall School of Music. He was a Jerwood Young Artist with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, completing his studies at London’s National Opera Studio, supported by a Young Artist Development Award from Glyndebourne. Competition success includes First Prize in both the Wellington Dame Malvina Major Foundation Aria Competition and the New Zealand Aria Competition.
Frederick Jones’ recent engagements have included Laurie in the UK premiere of Mark Adamo’s Little Women for Opera Holland Park, the title role in Albert Herring at Theater Lübeck, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress for Glyndebourne and English Touring Opera, Messiah with the NZSO and Celebrate Christmas with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Frederick Jones is delighted to be singing again with Orpheus Choir Wellington. His future engagements include a return to Theater Lübeck to sing Jupiter in Handel's Semele.
ROBERT TUCKER BASS
Born in Australia and raised in Dunedin, baritone Robert Tucker completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Otago and spent time living in Australia and the UK before returning to
New Zealand in 2012 where he continues to work on the stage, in the concert hall, as a singing teacher and a choral conductor.
Robert’s roles with New Zealand Opera in the past decade have included Adolfo Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Schaunard in La Bohème, Noah in Noah‘s Flood and a critically acclaimed King George in Eight songs for a mad king by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
A passion of Robert is bringing new composition to life as he has done in the operas Brass Poppies by Ross Harris, Hōhepa by Jenny McLeod with New Zealand Opera and The God boy by Anthony Ritchie with Opera Otago, the orchestral works The Journey Home by John Drummond with The Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and In Paradisum by Kenneth Young with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra.
FOOTNOTE
NEW ZEALAND DANCE
Footnote is a trailblazing contemporary dance company renowned for collaborating with choreographers to create transformative artistic ventures that captivate and invigorate audiences. Serving as a platform for audacious artistic risks, Footnote fosters an environment where creativity thrives. Every year the company embarks on expansive journeys across Aotearoa, weaving communities together through performances and workshops.
Airu Matsuda is a New Zealand- born Japanese dancer and choreographer. After graduating from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2021, Airu has worked as a dancer on a number of films including Silver Lotus which
won many international awards, and on the 2022 season of World of Wearable Art directed by Malia Johnston. Choreographic work includes creating for Toyota, The Colour Run Australia, Ev & Bow Youth Company and most recently, ‘H.Y.P.E Vol 2’ performed in Wellington.
Jemima Smith is a contemporary dance artist from Sydney, Australia. Since graduating from the NZ School of Dance she has worked as a dancer
on a number of films, with Footnote New Zealand Dance in their ChoreoCo Season, in the performance season of ‘BELLE- A Performance of the Air’ and in the Aotearoa Festival of the Arts with Movement of the Human, directed by Malia Johnson. Jemima was involved in independent works by Airu Matsuda and Natasha Sturgis in the Wellington and Sydney Fringe Festivals, and has performed with Dance Makers Collective at the Creative Australia Launch Event.
ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON
Founded over 75 years ago, Orchestra Wellington has a rich history as the country’s oldest regional orchestra.
Thanks to bold and imaginative programming, accessible ticket pricing, and high artistic standards, the Orchestra has attracted one of the largest and most consistent audiences in the country.
Orchestra Wellington is proud to uphold a strong commitment
CONCERT MASTER
Amalia Hall
FIRST VIOLIN
Vivian Stephens
Olya Curtis
Emma Brewerton
Emma Colligan
Leah Walls
Aziel Verner
Mana Waiariki
Sarah Marten
Claire Macfarlane
SECOND VIOLIN
Yury Gezentsvey
Konstanze Artmann
Oscar Bullock
Linden Barton
Emily Wilby
Simon Miller
Sandra Logan
Lucien Rizos
VIOLA
David Pucher
Susan Fullerton-Smith
Anita Gude
Tal Amoore
Aidan Verity
Deborah Woodley
CELLO
Brenton Veitch
Jane Young
Imogen Granwal
Jane Dalley
Kathy Paterson
Geoff Heath
to families and communities, performing most engagements outside the concert hall and in the communities they serve.
Through educational performances in schools, partnerships with community-based music education initiatives, and support of community events such as Classical on Cuba, CubaDupa, and PRIDE, Orchestra Wellington performs for thousands of children and families every year.
DOUBLE BASS
Steve Taylor
Jandee Song
William Taber
FLUTE
Karen Batten
Jen Vaughan
OBOE
Amy Clough
Louise Cox
CLARINET
Nick Walsh
Moira Hurst
BASSOON
Preman Tilson
Penny Miles
Peter Lamb
FRENCH HORN
Shadley van Wyk
Dominic Groom
TRUMPET
Matt Stein
Thomas Metz
TROMBONE
Peter Maunder
Julian Kirgan Báez
Matt Shelton
TIMPANI
Laurence Reese
KEYBOARD
Jonathan Berkahn
ORPHEUS CHOIR WELLINGTON
BRENT STEWART MUSIC DIRECTOR
Stephen Clothier Assistant Conductor
Jonathan Berkahn Pianist
SOPRANO 1
Lizzie Callaghan
Eliza Cartmell
Tessa Coppard
Isabel Doudney
Cath Edmondson
Milla Ellis Wood
Alison Forrest
Emilia Gray
Marion Harvey
Allie Hodge
Amy Noble
Helen Oliver
Kerri Osborne
Ruth Pritchard
Justine Robbins
Rosie Salas
Rebecca Thomson
SOPRANO 2
Paddy Austin
Mandy Britnell
Catherine Conland
Natalie Crane
Alison Dangerfield
Rachael Dewar
Janet Dixon
Vivienne Healey
Janet Holst
Meredith Lawry
Caitlin Melhuish
Gemma Nash
Katherine Quigley
Manjula Shivanandan
Polly Sorenson
Emily Stephens
Judy Sutherland
Folole Togiatama
Linda Van Milligan
Sandra Warwick
Maureen Woodhams
ALTO 1
Robin Averill
Moyra Brown
Mashal Butler
Jane Dancer
Ishbel Eade
Sarah Gaitanos
Naomi Geldard
Greta Healy-Melhuish
Mary Kane
Nina Koele
Jenny Kortright
Kerry Lloydd
Helen McNeil
Sarah Mills
Amy Nathanson
Grace Nelles
Theresa Rogers
Charlotte Secker
Philippa Sellens
Jane Shallcrass
Diane Stevens
Clare Tattersall
Kate Telford
Vicki Thorpe
Lydia White
ALTO 2
Heather Armishaw
Felicia Edgecombe
Marian Leicester
Adrienne Leuchars
Frances Manwaring
Sarah-Jane McCosh
Linn McManamon
Katherine Noble
Naomi Parker
Hilda Payne
Christine Ridding
Rosemary Russell
Tatjana Schaefer
Sarah Schnellenberg
Sonia Wansbrough
Angela Werren
Susi Woelz
Imogen Wybourne
TENOR 1
Peter Butchers
Ollie Levy
Francesco van Eerd
Andrew Williams
TENOR 2
Randall Cobb
Clive Conland
Ramon Das
Minto Fung
Charles Greenlees
Roger Joyce
Paul Oliver
Philip Oliver
Mike Pointer
Quintin Ridgeway
BASS 1
Tom Ackroyd
Bruce Asher
Andreas Benz
Osmond Borthwick
Samuel Brown
Billy Clemens
Stephen Clothier
Jono Cordwell
Andrew Davies
Hamish Dixon
Trevor Henry
Alastair Hercus
Chris Lipscombe
Hasil Maksud
David Marrison
John Mills
Tal Shiri
Stirling Smidt
Angus Stewart
Peter Vose
David Wansbrough
Mark Wilcox
Roger Wilson
BASS 2
Richard Armishaw
Chris Bell
Matt Benge
Winton Clitheroe
Richard Dean
Simon Harnden
Alastair Ker
Daniel Kibblewhite
Jackson McCarthy
Charle Rainey
Russell Tregonning
Ryno Verster
ORPHEUS CHOIR WELLINGTON
‘The Mighty Orpheus’ brings dramatic, spectacular, and emotionally charged performances of stunning choral music to a wide variety of audiences and events. These include the choir’s own sell-out events, festivals and the occasional pop concert. Our concerts are often recorded by Radio New Zealand Concert.
Formed in 1947, the choir is the custodian of some of the greatest music ever written and we love to
make it come alive for audiences of all ages and stages. Our varied and sometimes surprising repertoire ranges from the most loved choral works to the less known and more challenging, as well as Māori waiata.
Find out more at: orpheuschoir.org.nz
Orpheus Choir Wellington
@orpheuschoirwellington
@orpheuschoirwellington
ORPHEUS CHOIR WELLINGTON
THANKS
THE FOLLOWING
for their support without which this concert would not have been possible
Brent Stewart for visual creation
Richard Braae for programme content
Roger Joyce Communications for programme layout
Marc Taddei Music Director
A MODERN HERO
Saturday 7 December, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre
Featuring the world premiere of 2024 Composer-in-Residence Eve de Castro-Robinson’s newest composition Hour of Lead and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem
