Dunedin RSA Choir Anzac Revue
Knox Church
Tuesday, April 25
The Dunedin RSA Choir's early evening concert in Knox Church was a fitting finale to Dunedin's Anzac Day remembrance events.
Karen Knudson is the choir's musical director and accompanists were Mark Wigglesworth and David Burchell (organ), plus several supporting musicians.
A well-choreographed entry complete with kilted piper and drum began the excellent variety programme (compered by Peter Bodeker), with a Margaret Gardner arrangement of Highland Cathedral. Trumpet obbligato from Ralph Miller highlighted this choral item.
Miller also played the Last Post and reveille during a ceremony of remembrance, especially appreciated by audience members who were unable to attend other services during the day.
This section also included two works by Karen Knudson, O You Who Sleep and My Mother's Unknown Soldier, sung by the Otago Girls’ and Otago Boys’ High School Choirs (conductor Ben Madden), with sopranos Rebecca Ryan and Calla Knudson.
The school choirs later separated to Nautilus Chorale (OGHS), for Purea Nei and One Voice, and Mandate (OBHS) with In Remembrance and Homeward Bound. Knox Church Children's choir sang with Ryan in O Love.
New repertoire for the choir was a waiata He Honore, He Kororia and an arrangement of Elton John's Your Song. Voice students Kieran Kelly and Jesse Hanan joined in for Unchained Melody.
Calla Knudson sang Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille, by Offenbach, but a highlight were two numbers with French character from her own album, when a looped soundtrack accompanied her voice and violin most effectively.
Ryan and Knudson both presented solo brackets of classical numbers. Ryan’s solo with the choir in Nessun Dorma was outstanding.
The concert ended with all singers in a rousing delivery of Battle Hymn of the Republic, followed by the national anthems of New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain.
Review by Elizabeth Bouman