Proud to be a traditional choir

By WILLIAM DART

Even with a bad case of "the sniffles", as he calls them, Indra Hughes redefines perky. This is the man who has toured Bach's Art of Fugue around the country, is a devoted Mel Torme fan on the side, and has made his chamber choir, Musica Sacra, into one of the most respected choral groups in the city.

The choir's home is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Khyber Pass, a heavensent venue for Hughes because "it's important this repertoire is performed in its original context. The marvellous stained glass windows, the wonderful architectural environment, the smell of incense, the sound of the bells, the formality and all of those things do contribute to the overall impact".

The man is an unashamed traditionalist.

"I have no patience at all with genetically modified hymns and trendy clergy who want everything to be modern and relevant. We are 1662 without compromise. And whenever we say we're putting on a traditional and old-fashioned performance, the place is full. In fact, I wonder if the pendulum is swinging back in favour of the traditional in church music."

There may not be incense and bells on Good Friday when Musica Sacra open their 2003 season with a selection of Passiontide music. Hughes offers a tiki tour of what's on the bill.

Purcell's O Lord, how long wilt thou be angry is "very chromatic and full of anguished dissonance, a real stunner", while a setting of Drop, drop slow tears by Auckland composer John Wells is "very modern and difficult but with some rather sexy chords in it".

The centrepiece of the concert will be David Griffiths' The Servant, a major score for soloists, choir and two string quartets. Griffiths is Hughes' ideal composer.

"David sang in the cathedral choir for about 20 years and knows the musical style. When he writes these sacred pieces they come out right, which isn't always the case with contemporary composers.

"And it's clever the way The Servant uses the Old Testament Prophecies from Isaiah to tell the Passion story in a slightly oblique way."

Despite the "free timelessness" that Griffiths' score should invoke, the musicians still have a lot of counting to do.

"It's like when you see a swan gliding gracefully over the surface of the water," Hughes explains. "What you can't see underneath the water is the frantic paddling going on.

"David's work generates a very appropriate and slightly dark atmosphere, and, what is more, sustains it from page one to the end of the work. Sometimes you feel with composers, especially in sectional works, that they'll have a good idea at the beginning and a good one at the end but what's in the middle is a little bit pedestrian."

Musica Sacra is here for the long haul, he says. Holy Sepulchre's community spirit finds an echo in the choir's own philosophy: "Musica Sacra's value is that we belong to Auckland. We perform before the public never less than once a month, sometimes more and, on lots of occasions, for free. I can think of other choirs which draw considerable resources out of the community but don't give as much back."

It's tough surviving and Hughes is justly proud that the choir has never run an event at a loss.

"We do all sorts of things to raise money. We go carolling at places that will pay us more money than they ought to, and at the moment we're looking at corporate functions."

Does Hughes have any worries? "There is a perception that choral music can be stuffy and cobwebby but it's not like that; it's exciting and uplifting. I wouldn't want people to be put off by us having an ecclesiastic ethos. We're not a church choir, but a choir which sings church music."

Performance

* What: Musica Sacra

* Where: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Khyber Pass Rd

* When: Good Friday 8pm