Glenroy Auditorium
Monday, May 11
The Glenroy was packed on Monday when international bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu presented an excellent concert, honouring various choral groups in which he had sung as a young singer in Dunedin.
The programme began with two Mozart arias, one of which When a Maiden Takes your Fancy from Il Seraglio, Lemalu and Dennis first performed together in 1996. They later entertained with songs by Finzi, and American songs by Copland and Gershwin.
A highlight was Omelette Quartet, a comedic scene from an opera Le Docteur Miracle by Bizet, performed by Opera Otago members Erin Connelly-White, Eva Stein, Teddy Finney Waters and Kieran Kelly. Ameera Woods, Stein and Finney Waters representing University of Otago’s voice students confidently sang the trio Pria di partir from Mozart’s opera Idomeneo.
The university Capping Sextet performed, but with less offensive text than Lemalu recalled had often embarrassed his parents when he was in the Sextet.
Cantores Choir, conducted by Emanuel Nolden, sang three a capella songs representing Lemalu’s first choral experience. I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Arthur Sullivan’s The Long Day Closes. Kieran Kelly, a young Dunedin baritone impressed with the popular Gioachino Rossini aria Largo al factotum.
Otago Boys’ High School choir, where Lemalu was involved in music, also sang well, as did Southern Youth Choir now numbering 80 members (conductors John Buchanan and Tessa Campbell), accompanied by Sharon McLennan.
Lemalu’s main voice teacher was the late Honor MacKellar. An inaugural Mentor’s Award in her name was presented by her niece Helen Williamson to soprano Erin Connelly-White, after she sang the Dvorak aria Song to the Moon.
The concert ended with Lemalu commenting on Dunedin’s rich and vibrant musical community, before singing I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’, followed by long applause and standing ovation.
