For those unable to attend Anzac services in the city, it has become customary for the Dunedin RSA Choir (musical director Karen Knudsen) to offer an early evening Anzac Revue, which includes a "Ceremony of Remembrance".
Knox Church was the venue this year for the 23rd such event, and a large audience attended.
They began with God Defend New Zealand, both in English and Māori, and Advance Australia Fair, followed by Finlandia accompanied by guest band Mosgiel Brass (conductor Philip Craigie).
Rumbling percussion and strong dynamics interspersed with mellow brass tones highlighted this famous work by Sibelius.
The band accompanied a number of choir items, at times rather too strongly as was the case with Carpe Diem and Seize the Day, a work written by Knudsen.
The Ceremony of Remembrance included Last Post and Reveille (Ralph Miller), reciting of The Ode and the choir singing In Flanders Fields.
The band’s solo work, Keep Smiling Through, was a most enjoyable well-paced medley of wartime songs, and The Prayer featured cornet soloist Joanna Hughes.
RSA Choir vocal scholars tenor Jesse Hanan and baritone Kieran Kelly, at present studying voice at the University of Otago, sang with several choir numbers and also presented three solos each — operatic, lieder and contemporary.
Both are very talented young musicians who no doubt will continue with future success, as have so many of the RSA Choir’s past scholars.
Pianist Sandra Crawshaw contributed Franz Liszt’s Liebestraum No 3 — popular concert pianoforte repertoire confidently performed with well-projected melodic line and expression.
A rousing final number from all was Better is Peace than Always War from Sir Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man.
The programme was compered by Kevin Tansley, soprano Calla Knudsen joined for the final item and accompanists were Crawshaw and Carolyn Schmid.
Review by Elizabeth Bouman
