Choral society explores global music, ends with prayer for peace

Choir singers who will be going solo, accompanied by choir pianist Coralie Hunter, at Sunday’s concert. From left, are Mike Costello, Elizabeth Raines, Alex Raines, Serena Foster and Gavin Maclean.

A fun-filled frenzy of folk songs is the description Gisborne Choral Society musical director Gavin Maclean has given to the choir’s concert on Sunday afternoon.

The songs for the Pick n Mix offering were chosen more for the joy and challenge of the arrangements than plain old tunes, “though we certainly include some of those”, he says.

The concert opens with a composition by Tommy Taurima, from Nuhaka. He was a prolific writer of songs, many of them myths and legends, in te reo Māori. To him, the secret of songwriting was: “How you make it go! Go from these heartstrings to those ones. It’s important.”

A bracket of African American spirituals follows, and the lovely “Shenandoah”. Maclean joins the tenors in the choir for some of these items, while choir alto Elizabeth Raines takes up the conductor’s baton.

English arrangers offer “wacky and winsome” versions of tunes – and even a nursery rhyme – from Europe and the US.

Some of the arrangers, like John Rutter, Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams, are well known composers, or conductors like Malcolm Sargent and David Willcocks, who is perhaps best known for his arrangements of Christmas carols which the choir has sung many times.

The choir takes a break for five songs arranged by Britten, performed by soloists drawn from the choir.

“Britten was a brilliant pianist and we welcome the opportunity to explore his clever accompaniments highlighting Coralie Hunter at the piano and singers from the choir,” said Maclean.

The concert ends on a more serious note, with settings of old tunes reflecting modern times.

“I’ve Been In The Storm So Long”, with mezzosoprano Esther Hudson, was written after the ravages of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“Prayer for Ukraine” was especially arranged by John Rutter after the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The closing karakia, “Kia Tau Te Rangimarie”, is a prayer for peace.

“We have really enjoyed rehearsing for this concert,” said choral society president Mary-Jane Richmond.

“Some of the songs have challenged us but it has been great fun to tackle something a bit different from our usual fare.”

· Gisborne Choral Society presents Pick n Mix, traditional songs with modern arrangements. St Andrew’s Church, Cobden St, 2pm, Sunday May 26. Koha entry.