Nelson Civic Choir & Nelson Symphony Orchestra present their first ever joint venture concert to bring you Carl Orff’s iconic and glorious Carmina Burana, together with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Antiphon from ‘Five Mystical Songs’!
This historic concert marks the first time our long-established community choir and regional orchestra have collaborated fully to bring you a high-quality concert to add to Nelson’s rich cultural repertoire.
The choir and orchestra, with distinguished vocal soloists and instrumentalists, will perform under the baton of Nigel E. Weeks on Sunday May 19th, 2 pm at Nelson College.
Orff described Carmina Burana as a ‘scenic cantata’. It is powerful and evocative, and uses a very large orchestra, making the great traditional hall at Nelson College a fitting venue for this concert.
The first part of the joint venture concert features Antiphon and Dona Nobis Pacem from ‘Five Mystical Songs’ by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Antiphon is the final of ‘Five Mystical Songs’, which set poems by George Herbert to music. Antiphon is a triumphant hymn of praise often performed on its own, as a church anthem for choir and organ. The musical setting of the two verses is lyrical, in contrast to the triumphant mood of the chorus: Let all the world in every corner sing.
Dona Nobis Pacem is a cantata, written by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1936, that is an eloquent plea for peace during the growing fears of a World War. His texts were taken from the Mass, three poems by Walt Whitman, a political speech, and sections of the Bible.
The work is scored for chorus and large orchestra, with soprano and baritone soloists. The phrase ‘Dona nobis pacem’ (‘Give us peace’), in different settings, is reiterated throughout the entire piece, and our performance is dedicated by the Nelson Civic Choir and Nelson Symphony Orchestra to the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings on March 15th.
Ticket prices (excluding service fees)
$35 Adults
$15 Students
A merchant fee may be charged on credit and debit card transactions.
Cash and eftpos available at Nelson Centre of Musical Arts from 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday
Please contact Nelson Centre of Musical Arts if you require wheelchair seating on 03 548 9477 or [email protected].
