Auckland Choral at Auckland Town Hall

Few arts organisations in Australasia can rival Auckland Choral, which signed off its 150th birthday celebrations with the laudable Missa Pacifica, a major choral work by Auckland composer David Hamilton.

The piece announced its multiculturalism lightly as a karanga floated over suspended wisps of harp and percussion.

A rippling minimalism was set in motion and a Kyrie flowed effortlessly through choir and soloists, with the occasional punchy retort from the brass.

A more welcoming score you could not imagine, with Hamilton sneaking in a few progressions from the Howard Shore chord book. But, Hollywood moments aside, it was the sheer inventiveness of the composer that made the work so vibrant.

Violins and viola, held and strummed like guitars, sounded more like ukeleles than fiddles, accentuated by intriguing cross-rhythms. Over this, the youth choir made the most of Joy Cowley's I Hara I Te Mea.

When it was time for outright celebration, the Gloria in Excelsis married Bach and jazzy syncopations.

Inspired by conductor Peter Watts, the choristers and the instrumentalists of Pipers Sinfonia were caught up by the exhilaration of the occasion and the music.

Soprano Morag Atchison and mezzo Kate Spence were thoughtful soloists, most strikingly in the later setting of Outing.

Auckland Choral, which started the concert with a listless reading of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, sang Hamilton with the pride of ownership.

Strain showed when voices negotiated upper registers, but hats off to the choristers for having no qualms in dealing with some of the more experimental writing at the end of a fine Patricia Grace setting.

Similarly, on the instrumental side, strings were occasionally taxed by the angular lines of the Benedictus, but the orchestra's sound was so bold at times that the choir had to work to hold its own, even with the sterling support of young choristers drawn from five city schools.

This was a solid and exciting piece, written with the balance of expertise and sensitivity that should ensure it is picked up by other enterprising choral groups.

What: Auckland Choral
Where: Auckland Town Hall