Presented by the chamber singers of the Auckland Chamber Choir, A Sound Came From Heaven' brings together a reflective collection of sacred choral works.

At the heart of the programme is J. S. Bach’s great motet 'Jesu, meine Freude', in which passages of intimate faith alternate with intricate, richly expressive counterpoint. Around it are works that explore loss, mortality, and the hope of peace: Purcell’s haunting 'Hear My Prayer, O Lord'; Thomas Weelkes’s deeply moving lament 'When David Heard'; Heinrich Schütz’s 'Unsere Trübsal'; and Richard Rodney Bennett’s serene 'A Good-Night'. The concert takes its title from Douglas Mews’s 'A Sound Came From Heaven', whose radiant text offers a vision of music descending from beyond the earthly world.

The Auckland Chamber Choir is pleased to welcome long-standing choir member Blake Scanlen as guest conductor for this concert, prior to his move to the United Kingdom to undertake postgraduate study in Vocal Ensemble Singing at the University of York.

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 cast classic works in an entirely new light.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Join Viva Voce for a concert of reimaginative choral treasures. Do stay afterwards for a chat over a (free) cuppa and early supper!

Dilworth School choirs

Mā te wā is a farewell concert celebrating the next chapter for two emerging classical singers, Alanah Jones and Blake Scanlen.

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This September, soprano Alanah Jones will move to London to begin a Master of Music in Classical Voice at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and baritone Blake Scanlen will begin a Master of Arts in Solo Voice Ensemble Singing at the University of York.

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Having sung together for years in St Matthew's Voices, the professional vocal quartet at St Matthew-in-the-City, Alanah and Blake are delighted to share one final concert together before departing overseas.

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Featuring the St Matthew's Voices, Mā te wā will present a programme of the quartet's favourite choral works from over the years, interwoven with solo items from both Alanah and Blake. The concert celebrates both the music that has shaped their journeys and the friendships and community that have supported them along the way.

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Repertoire highlights include Goodall's Love Divine, Wood's O Thou the Central Orb, and Mozart's Laudate Dominum. The programme is rounded out with music by Byrd, Vaughan Williams, David Hamilton, the Wehi Whanau and more.

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Join us for an afternoon of beautiful music as we celebrate the past, look towards the future, and wish Alanah and Blake every success in the next stage of their musical careers.

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Alanah Jones, soprano

Blake Scanlen, baritone (Leader of the Voices)

Nicholas Forbes, piano, organ (Director of Music)

St Matthew's Voices Octet

Conductor - David Kay
Soloist - Jonah Levy

Haydn - Symphony No 70 in D
Hummel - Trumpet Concerto in E
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte Overture K 620
Beethoven - Symphony No 5 Op 67 in C minor

This concert is part of the St Matthew's Chamber Orchestra (SMCO) 2026 Concert Series.

Passione Clarinet Quintet

Conductor - Adam Maha
Soloist - Tony Chen Lin

Mozart - Symphony No 31 K297 in D ‘Paris’
Mozart - Piano Concerto No 20 K466 in D minor
Arnsten, Bjorn - Commissioned Work
Stravinsky - Pulcinella Suite

"TONY CHEN LIN is a true artist. Rarely have I encountered a finer musician who has
something truly exceptional to say in music. He has a strong musical personality that speaks
to audiences and possesses the technique, which is expected today, but also artistry which is
not always expected.” Tamás Vásárich

This concert is part of the St Matthew's Chamber Orchestra (SMCO) 2026 Concert Series.

Join Rita and the Bach Musica NZ chorus and orchestra as we welcome her back for this special guest appearance in a concert of Baroque favourites!

Music by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and more, with the wonderful Stephen Diaz as countertenor! 

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Yanghe Yu,  violin
Vanessa Tam, violin
Paul Mitchel, cello
Stephen Diaz, countertenor

Rita Paczian, conductor

Bach Musica NZ Chorus & Baroque Orchestra

Ben Hoadley, bassoon 

Conductor - Michael Joel
Soloists –
Monique Lapins – Violin
Matthias Balzat – Cello

Mozart - Symphony No 35 K385 in D ‘Haffner’
Gounod - Symphony No 1 in D
Brahms - Double Concerto Op 102 in A minor

St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra’s final concert for the year brings along not one but two of New
Zealand’s most acclaimed soloists for your enjoyment. The highlight of the programme will surely be
Monique Lapins (Violin) and Matthias Balzat (Cello) performing the great Brahms Double Concerto,
his final work for orchestra and a sublime masterpiece that requires two brilliant and equally
matched soloists.

This concert is part of the St Matthew's Chamber Orchestra (SMCO) 2026 Concert Series.

Alison Dunlop, oboe