Choirs to perform together

Jenny Little

On Sunday, May 8 at 3.30pm, the Renaissance Singers from Palmerston North and the Schola Sacra Choir of Whanganui will be heard in a combined concert at Christ Church, Wicksteed St.
Both choirs are similar in the types of music they perform and enjoy a wide variety of styles including sacred music. Both choirs recently celebrated 40th anniversaries and are looking forward to the fantastic sounds they will create through the collaboration.
Guy Donaldson has been the conductor of the Renaissance Singers for 26 years and is an old boy of Whanganui. Roy Tankersley, musical director of Schola Sacra has for the past 13 years commuted regularly from Palmerston North for rehearsals. This is the first time that these choirs have collaborated.
In the first half each choir presents their own bracket of choral items. Schola Sacra will sing sacred music from the 16th century to the present day, a smattering of Beatles and a work by Palmerston North composer Graham Parsons in memory of the victims of the Pike River mining disaster. The Renaissance singers will also include a work by Parsons in their presentation of music, old and new, based on Shakespearean texts, 2016 being the 400th anniversary of the death of the playwright.
In the second half of the concert two short pieces for double choir will be performed ahead of the featured combined work, Haydn's Little Organ Mass, with soprano Jennifer Little, organist Jonathan Berkahn and a string orchestra of Palmerston North based players led by Allan Rae.
Admission is by programme, available from choir members or from the Opera House.