St Paul’s Cathedral was the venue on Sunday for an afternoon recital by the Southern Consort of Voices.
A reasonably sized audience enjoyed the programme, and as usual with this well-established group, some new and interesting repertoire was performed.
Musical director Daniel Kelly always manages to put together an interesting programme, often themed and always including unusual or little-known a cappella works.
Sunday’s was entitled "an eclectic collection of songs for spring".
The consort of 16 has a unique blend and excellent intonation which regular followers have come to know and enjoy.
They began with two Renaissance pieces — Surge, Illuminare, Jerusalem by Palestrina and Alma Redemptoris Mater (Peter Phillips).
Both were well-paced with good balance.
Three songs from a set of six by Timothy Hurd (1972-2023) entitled Magnetic South: Dunedin Peninsula Seascape were performed in memory of this local composer and member of the consort in past years.
The three songs used lyrics from poems — Magnetic South, from a poem by Sue Wootton, Dunedin Morning, a short poem by Karen Peterson Butterworth, and Dunedin Summer, by Jean Lonie.
All with words of poetic beauty, totally recognisable for locals and sheathed in well-balanced harmonic blends.
Piano Practice by Anthony Ritchie with text by Lauris Edmond was followed by The Owl and the Pussycat and Sing a Song of Sixpence from John Rutter’s Five Childhood Lyrics, brought humour in their words.
Guest artist soprano Erin Connelly-Whyte accompanied by Sandra Crawshaw presented a bracket of three solos which included the popular Vilja-Lied from The Merry Widowby Franz Lehar.
A cappella arrangements of songs by Billy Joel, Sara Groves and Kate Rusby were followed by a strong and impressive rendition in Finnish of Finlandia-hymni by Sibelius, and the final bracket included several soloists for A Ukrainian Prayer by Rutter.
