A spectacular concert last Saturday afternoon at Christ Church, Wicksteed St, marked the 50th anniversary of the Lyric Singers.
This was the debut concert for their new conductor Lisa Boessenkool. Long associated with the choir but now taking the helm, the clarity of diction, the wonderful phrasing and the precision dynamic changes from the very opening number Let There Be Song allowed Ms Boessenkool’s and the group’s wonderful musicianship and warmth to shine through.
The opening bracket of songs from the shows was brimming with excitement ably accompanied by the well-balanced combination of Shontae Arthur’s impeccable piano skills and Lucy Morgan’s precision drumming.
Guest tenor soloist Sid Chand, known by Whanganui audiences for his participation in the New Zealand Opera School, wowed the capacity audience with a wonderfully expressive aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. He later switched to a Spiritual style as he joined in with the Lyric Singers for Hal Johnson’s No Time to Die.
Two local musicians are really making a name for themselves for whom audiences have a great deal of affection and respect. One is flautist Gerard Burgstaller who added an extra dimension when he accompanied the Lyric Singers for Greg Gilpin’s The Beginning of Love and David Haas’ You Are Mine.
