Whanganui choirs unite with musicians, soloists for Anzac Day concert

Whanganui choirs and Brass Whanganui rehearsing for the Anzac Day Concert at The Royal Wanganui Opera House. Photo / Supplied

Three Whanganui choirs will join with vocal soloists and brass musicians for a special Anzac Day concert.

The Schola Sacra Choir, Wanganui Male Choir and the Lyric Singers along with Brass Whanganui and professional vocal soloists will perform The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace at the Royal Wanganui Opera House on Sunday afternoon.

The Armed Man was written by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins as a commission for the Royal Armouries Museum to mark the Millennium celebrations and the museum's relocation from London to Leeds.

Conductor Iain Tetley has been assembling the forces, mostly rehearsing the choirs, the brass band and the soloists separately, but brought the choirs and band together for a combined rehearsal last Sunday.

The soprano soloist Jennifer Little is well-known to Whanganui audiences and other soloists are Cecily Shaw, Nigel Tongs and Lindsay Yeo.

Wanganui Collegiate School student Harrison Richmond is the treble soloist.

Tetley said the concert promises to be a huge event on the Whanganui musical and Anzac Day calendar.

"I encourage everyone not to miss out on the opportunity to commemorate Anzac with this impressive piece of music," he said.

Tetley said The Armed Man is in line with the sentiments of Anzac Day and portrays an over-arching message of hope that worldwide warfare will reduce and end as the 21st century unfolds.

The composer has used various settings of texts from over the centuries and interspersed them with some movements from the Latin Mass to create a piece that conveys a message that "sorrow, pain and death can be overcome".

To add to the atmosphere, a background video of stirring footage will accompany the music.

Tickets are available from the Royal Wanganui Opera House, ph 06 349 0511, or online at whanganuivenues.co.nz. Adults $30, Concession $25.