About the Choir
Patron: Dr Barry Rose OBE FRAM FRSCM
Trustees: Kerrin Vautier CMG (Chairman), David Shand,
John Sinclair, Mary Whaley
General Manager: Kevin Bishop MEdAdmin(Hons) BEd LTCL(GMT)
Conductor: Dr Indra Hughes MA(Oxon) DMusA FRCO(CHM) FRSA
Assistant Conductor: Anita Banbury ARAM ARSCM GRSM ARCO(CHM) LRAM ARCM AIRMT
Assistant Conductor: Iain Tetley BA(Hons) PGCE
Organist: Dr John Wells MA(Cantab) DMus
Organ Scholar: Nicholas Forbes
Musica Sacra rehearsing at Auckland Town Hall, December 2010
photo: Hans Wechselbaum
click to enlarge
'...it is inspiring to hear choral singing of such brilliance and consummate artistry...Musica Sacra seems to have achieved all the qualities choral conductors dream about' Dominion Post, October 2006
'Musica Sacra celebrated its 10th anniversary with confidence and utter professionalism…from the tonal finesse of Praised be the Lord to jubilant, resounding Alleluias, Musica Sacra was on top form.'
(NZ Herald , November 2008)
'Musica Sacra's first visit a real gem' (Christchurch Press, October 2008)
'…disciplined and imaginative choral singing…the singers created an enchanting weave of sound, the Sanctus almost mesmerising in its waves of glorious vocalising.' (NZ Herald, November 2007)
'...Zadok the Priest showed the choir at its considerable best.'
(NZ Herald, August 2006)
'…wonderfully rich and beautifully shaped performance, sung with such immense musicality and obvious enjoyment…a 'must-have' disc: with such distinct and compelling singing it stands as one of the most impressive choral discs I've heard for a very long time.'
(International Record Review, London June 2005)
'Magnificent choral singing' (NZ Herald, June 2004)
Musica Sacra, established in 1998, is a chamber choir of around 35 voices with an enviable reputation for choral singing of magnificence and extraordinary finesse. Founded and directed by Dr Indra Hughes, "New Zealand music's Richie McCaw" (New Zealand Listener, December 2011) the choir is recognised as one of New Zealand's foremost cultural assets.
The choir's programmes are entirely of sacred repertoire, bringing to life music from the fifteenth century to premiered and commissioned works of the twenty first century.
In 2001, the choir's CD of Christmas Music, Christmas a Cappella, was sold out within weeks of its release and was number one in the classical charts. The choir's 2002 release, Musica Sacra, with music by Scarlatti, Stanford, Wood and Rheinberger, has enjoyed outstanding international reviews. Later that year the choir achieved the rare distinction of having two different recordings in the top ten of the charts at the same time, an achievement that was repeated in 2007 when both Christmas a Cappella and our 2007 release, Christmas a Cappella II, were once again in the top ten, the latter at number one for five weeks. The choir's most recent recording, Christmas Spectacular, recorded at Auckland Town Hall with the APO Brass and the new Town Hall Organ and released in November 2011, was also number one in the charts. The choir has enjoyed growing support from a loyal public in Auckland and more recently throughout the country with the broadcast of its concerts by Radio New Zealand Concert (92.6FM). In 2011 Musica Sacra presented a prestigious, sold-out concert at Auckland Town Hall with the celebrated German countertenor Andreas Scholl.
The choir sings Choral Evensong according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer at
St Matthew- in-the-City, Hobson Street, Auckland on the last Sunday of each month at 5.00pm (NB not in August 2012).
In 2012 there are concerts on 6 April (Good Friday); 10 June (Stravinsky and Martin); 22 August (with John Scott); 11 November (Josquin) and 22 December (Christmas). See our Concerts & Services and News pages for further details.
Musica Sacra is a member of the New Zealand Choral Federation. |
