2024 Concert Season
Previous Concerts
Fate & Destiny: Beethoven & brahms
Sunday May 05, 2024
Scholars are excited to collaborate once again with their friends in the Bay of Plenty Symphonia. This will be the first concert of the Symphonia’s new Musical Director, William McElwee. The Scholars Baroque are proud to be invited to be part of this inaugural concert marking the beginning of this exciting chapter in the life of the orchestra.
Annual Handel’s Messiah
Saturday 25 November - Sunday 26 November, 2023
Scholars Baroque Aotearoa, in collaboration with the renowned NZBarok orchestra, captivated audiences once again with their annual concert featuring George Frideric Handel's seasonal masterpiece. Audiences were transported by the ethereal notes of Australian soprano Greta Claringbould, the mesmerising countertenor sound of Coco Diaz, the clear and strong tenor performance by Jeandré Le Roux, and the resonant bass of James Harrison.
The Tempest BY Purcell
Saturday 9 September - Sunday 10 September, 2023
The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island is a comedy adapted by John Dryden and William D'Avenant from Shakespeare's comedy The Tempest. The musical setting, is attributed to Henry Purcell, and probably for the London revival of 1712. This collaborative performance featured not only Purcell’s exquisite scoring of Shakespeare’s inspired text, but also scene work and dialogue from the play provided by students of acting academy, Apex Academy of Performing Arts.
Brocke’s Passion by Handel
Saturday 24 June - Sunday 25 June, 2023
Performed with Opus Orchestra. The Brockes Passion played a decisive role at the beginning of the 18th Century in the theological debate as to whether sacred works using freely-written Passion texts could take the place of compositions employing strictly Biblical Passion texts. In this respect, performances of such works had a thoroughly demonstrative character. Handel’s composition is based on a copy made by J. S. Bach.
An Evening with Mozart
Friday 20 May - Sunday 22 May, 2022
Opus Orchestra were joined by Scholars Baroque Aotearoa to perform Mozart’s much-loved Requiem. The programme also featured Opus concertmaster, Lara Hall, performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto in A major and a new commission by Janet Jennings written especially for this programme. Chalium Poppy performed as Bass soloist in this concert.
HANDEL + BACH
Saturday 12 June & Sunday 13 June, 2021
For their first concert of the 2021 season, the Scholars Baroque at long last tackled the choral music of the undisputed giant of the German Baroque – J.S. Bach. The Scholars presented his greatest and perhaps most challenging choral works, the German Motets. This programme was complimented by two of Handel’s Chandos Anthems, intimate in nature yet still display Handel’s unmistakable skill and sound.
Nine Lessons and Carols
Sunday 20 December, 2020
No Christmas season is complete without this extremely popular traditional service, made famous by the choir of King’s College Cambridge. Each year the Scholars Baroque present an eclectic selection of both ancient and modern carols from around the world.
CHARLES DICKENS’ “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”
Sunday 13 December, 2020
An annual favourite - local personalities presented a dramatic reading of the Dickens’ classic and timeless tale, infused with carol singing led by the Scholars Baroque.
6th Annual concert of “Messiah”
Saturday 4 December, 2020
An annual tradition in Tauranga, “Mr. Handel” reappeared to conduct the much- anticipated baroque-inspired performance of his greatest oratorio with the Scholars Baroque voices and NZBarok Orchestra recreating Handel’s original sound for small chamber choir and orchestra with a stunning line up of New Zealand soloists.
Israel In Egypt
Saturday 10 October & Sunday 11 October, 2020
Scholars Baroque Aotearoa and Opus Orchestra performed the magnificent and thrilling oratorio, Israel in Egypt by Handel. Performed at both Tauranga’s St. Mary Immaculate Church and Hamilton’s St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Guest Conductor: Peter Walls
Guest Soloists: Jayne Tankersley, Stephen Diaz, Lachlan Craig
5th Annual Concert of “Messiah”
Saturday 7 December, 2019
Our annual performance with our friends at NZBarok, NZ's finest baroque orchestra. This concert needed was a refreshing interpretation of this classical masterpiece. It featured an exciting new line up of soloists for 2019:
Guest Soloists: Greta Claringbould, Laura Funaki, Jeandré Le Roux, James Harrison
JUBILATE! WITH Jubilate Ensemble
Sunday 22 September, 2019
This concert featured one of Purcell's greatest masterpieces, a birthday ode for Queen Mary - Come, Ye Sons of Art, and Handel's Te Deum and Jubilate. Both glorious works of celebration and teeming with anticipation.
Guest Soloists: Cecily Shaw, Aidan Phillips & Jeandré Le Roux
Gloria! with Opus Ensemble
Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 May, 2019
The Scholars Baroque Aotearoa performed anthems by Purcell. Not your typical anthems, they featured solos, duets, trios, quartets. Also on this programme was the eternal favourite, Gloria, by Antonio Vivaldi with all its flare and excitement of the high Italian baroque style.
CHRISTCHURCH MEMORIAL - RUTTER’S REQUIEM
Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 March, 2019
Tauranga choirs, led by Chalium Poppy, joined together to perform two memorial concerts for the community in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shooting.
Though free to attend, $2670.60 was raised through donations for the “Our People, Our City” Christchurch Foundation to support our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Nine Lessons & Carols
Sunday 16 December, 2018
No Christmas season is complete without this extremely popular annual service, made famous by the choir of King's College Cambridge. Each year the Scholars present an eclectic selection of both ancient and modern carols from around the world.
Charles Dickens’ A christmas Carol
Sunday 9th December, 2018
A new addition to the Scholars season, this free family event was a dramatic reading of Dickens' classic short-story featuring well-known community personalities reading Dickens’ timeless tale, whilst interspersed with well-known carols led by the Scholars.
4th annual concert of “Messiah”
Saturday 24th November, 2018
Now an annual tradition here, in Tauranga, "Mr. Handel" made his appearance to conduct this much-anticipated performance of his greatest oratorio and seasonal favourite with the Scholars and NZBarok Orchestra. This baroque-inspired performance sought to recreate Handel's original sound for small chamber choir and orchestra and featured a stunning line up of New Zealand soloists.
Singalong Messiah
Sunday 9th September, 2018
Back by popular demand, this fundraising concert was a fun community event enjoyed by all. An open invitation was extended to singers of all ages and skills to come and sing Messiah along with The Scholars. A legendary afternoon tea provided by the Scholars was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
crowns and kings
Saturday 25th August, 2018
A powerfully dramatic showpiece composed by a precocious and ambitious 22 yr old Handel in Rome 1707, was performed in Tauranga in an extraordinary performance of Dixit Dominus. This music of exceptional brilliance was followed by Handel’s Coronation Anthems - processional, triumphant and as grand as his 1727 concert Venue, Westminster Abbey.
Lost & Found
Sunday 15 April, 2018
The Scholars were truly honoured to be part of the modern premiere of works by Gustav Holst recently discovered here in Tauranga. The choir joined the Bay of Plenty Sinfonia in concert to perform choral works by Holst, Parry, and Elgar.
The choral music of the late-Victorian and early-Edwardian era was magnificently grand and fantastically dignified.
Nine lessons and carols
Sunday 17 December, 2017
The Scholars accompanied Bible readings with carols and hymns at St Peter's Anglican Church, Mount Maunganui.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus in nine short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music.
messiah: the 3rd annual performance
Saturday 2 December, 2017
The Scholars are joined once again by NZbAROK, New Zealand's only professional baroque orchestra, to deliver another highly stylised performance of this work - the way Handel himself would have envisioned it.
Soprano: Gina Sanders Tenor: Iain Tetley
Alto: Elisha Hulton Bass: Tavis Gravatt
SINGALONG MESSIAH
Sunday 24 September, 2017
A wonderful afternoon of singing and afternoon tea as the Scholars prepare for their upcoming concert. This was so successful and enjoyable, we will be continuing this as an annual event next year.
LOVE SONGS
Sunday 17 September, 2017
The LIEBESLIEDER WALTZES, a collection of outrageously sentimental Love Songs that are quintessentially Brahms to relax and charm.
EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK, Mozart. Piano: Hilda Bester & Christine Leaf, debuting the St Peter's Grand Piano.
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE MADRIGALS - love songs of a different kind, sung a cappella - an intriguing contrast to the Waltzes.
Seven Last Words & Little organ Mass
Sunday 21 May, 2017
This surprisingly serene telling of Christ's crucifixion opened the 2017 concert season. Arguably one of Haydn's fondest works, the Scholars sang with only an organ as accompaniment, played superbly by guest organist Janet Gibbs. Following this work was the performance of Haydn's Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, more commonly known as the Little Organ Mass.
Organist: Janet Gibbs
Soprano: Regan McFarlane Alto: Kate Spence
Tenor: Iain Tetley Bass: Tavis Gravatt
Nine lessons and carols
Sunday 18 December, 2016
The Scholars accompanied Bible readings with carols and hymns at St Peter's Anglican Church, Mount Maunganui.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music.
ADVENT PRocession
Sunday 27 November, 2016
The Scholars heralded in the Advent season at St Peter's Anglican Church, Mount Maunganui.
Advent is a time of expectation: the word itself means 'coming'. It recalls ancient Israel's hope for the advent of the Messiah, and also expresses the Christian hope for the fulfillment of God's Kingdom in the second coming of Christ. The processions in this service are a metaphor for a journey which we make together. The words and music at this powerful service seek to enable us to worship God, who calls us to do his will and make the world what he created it to be - full of his light and truth.
messiah: the 2nd annual performance
Saturday 19 November, 2016
Back by popular demand, the Scholars once again performed Handel's greatest oratorio and seasonal favourite, Messiah. A musical drama like no other, Messiah demands something of all who hear it as we strive to make sense of the world in which we live. Performed alongside NZbAROK, New Zealand's only professional baroque orchestra, and New Zealand's finest baroque soloists.
Soprano: Jayne Tankersley Countertenor: Stephen Diaz
Tenor: Iain Tetley Bass: Tavis Gravatt
the creation
Saturday 27 August, 2016
The Scholars present Haydn's greatest choral masterpiece, The Creation. Through Haydn's amazing and thoughtful use of both choral and orchestral forces, The Creation brims with Haydn's artistic genius, dramatic flair, and witty childlike playfulness, from the first sunrise to the beasts of the sea. Performed with Opus Orchestra, Guest Conductor Dr Indra Hughes led both choir and three of New Zealand's finest and most distinguished soloists.
Guest Conductor: Dr Indra Hughes Soprano: Jayne Tankersley
Tenor: Iain Tetley Bass: Chalium Poppy
