Messiah at the Auckland Town Hall

Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Handel's Messiah might not have the status that it once enjoyed in the city, but Monday's performance by Auckland Choral, conducted by Peter Watts, attests once more to its singular power.

It is a work familiar to the choristers; the well-known And the Glory and For unto us a Child is born were robustly delivered with scores closed; Watts' spruce tempi kept things nicely buoyant.

There were weak patches elsewhere. A forthright Surely He hath borne our griefs segued into a well articulated And with His stripes, only to lose impetus in All we like sheep in which Handel's wandering melismas were unfocused.

Watts' directorial expertise was apparent from the first chords of the overture, and Pipers Sinfonia offered solid support through, with just the occasional moment of acridity, as in the echoing phrases of He was despised.

Dramatic touches included Philip Lloyd and Jim Watkinson's trumpets playing from the top of the stage during Glory to God and Judy Stokes' energetic timpani in The trumpet shall sound.

John Wells' organ blended well with the orchestra, particularly in the shifting textures of the chorus His yoke is easy.

Among the soloists, Teddy Tahu Rhodes was the indubitable star of the evening, lending an operatic dimension to his arias. Each recitative had its narrative thrust and his final The trumpet shall sound a veritable clarion call.

David Hamilton was the model of control in his opening Comfort ye and Ev'ry valley, so much so that I could not imagine a more beautiful rendition. Later, when Handel offered him the opportunity to sing of "scorn, derision, breaking and dashing", the tenor did go just a little over the top.

The vocal sweetness of soprano Anna Cors served her well and, although she acquitted herself creditably in the florid arias, I know that my Redeemer proved more difficult to sustain.

How effortlessly Kate Spence realised the dramatic potential of the two arias with fiery middle sections (But who may abide and He was despised). Her rich, well-modulated voice and innate musicality, making so much of small but crucial pieces of ornamentation, were a joy throughout.