Sounding Boards - echoes of friendship | spheres of influence
Sounding Boards celebrates the musical friendships that changed history. From Mozart and Haydn trading ideas around a quartet table to Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Brahms inspiring one another across generations, these relationships sparked creativity that continues to resonate today.
Across Europe and beyond, composers shaped each other’s voices through mentorship, collaboration, and shared curiosity. Fauré and Saint‑Saëns sustained a lifelong artistic partnership, Bartók and Kodály transformed folk research into modern composition, and Copland, Bernstein, and Barber forged a distinctly American sound. Holst and Vaughan Williams, trusted companions in craft, helped define English music for a new century.
Join the Bach Choir for Sounding Boards, a concert woven from these remarkable connections. This programme brings together music born from friendship, respect, and shared artistic vision, inviting audiences to hear how great composers shaped one another and the worlds they lived in.
Tickets available on Eventfinda
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
The Bach Choir of Wellington, in collaboration with Nota Bene, and the Chiesa ensemble are joined by Georgia Jamieson Emms (soprano), Maaike Christie-Beekman (mezzo soprano), Iain Tetley (tenor), and Robert Tucker (baritone) in a festive performance of Bach magnificent Christmas Oratorio (Parts I, II, III & VI).
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, is a spiritually rich masterpiece composed during 1723 and 1724 and first performed in its entirety during the Christmas season of 1734–1735 while Bach was serving in Leipzig. Drawing on earlier secular cantatas and a now-lost church cantata (BWV 248a), this oratorio weaves together a vibrant tapestry of sacred music celebrating the birth of Christ.
Though beloved internationally, Christmas Oratorio is rarely performed in Wellington, making this a special opportunity to experience one of Bach’s most joyful and profound creations. We hope you will join us for an evening of radiant music and festive spirit.
French Impressions
French Impressions – The Bach Choir of Wellington presents a programme of French sacred music on Saturday, 19 July 2025, at St Mary of the Angels Church. The concert features Vierne’s Messe Solennelle and Fauré’s Requiem, two contrasting works that highlight the richness and lyricism of the French choral tradition. With Douglas Mews on organ, and soloists Rowena Simpson (soprano) and Joe Haddow (baritone), this afternoon performance offers a exciting and moving musical experience in one of Wellington’s most beautiful acoustic spaces.
ANZAC Things
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.