Dame Malvina Major is to perform with New Zealand’s The Graduate Choir in a special concert on Monday August 4 in the World War I sanctuary of Auckland’s War Memorial Museum. 

In this highly evocative and acoustically remarkable setting, the museum’s top floor memorial will host the choir’s “Music for War and Peace” commemoration concert; a moving tribute to the fallen of the Great War, which began on exactly the same date 100 years ago this year.

Under the direction of Terence Maskell, The Graduate Choir will perform works of gravitas and beauty, in particular the sublime and glorious motets of 16^th Century composers Robert Ramsey and William Byrd.  Contemporary works by New Zealand composers David Hamilton and The Graduate Choir chorister Chris Artley will also feature in the programme.  An audience highlight will be the “Agnus Dei”, a choral version of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” made famous to cinema goers as the theme music for the film “Platoon”. 

Selected readings from famous WWI war poets including Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen are interwoven between the choral pieces creating an evening of exquisitely breath-taking sound and reflective solemnity.

The performance features New Zealand’s favourite soprano, Dame Malvina Major who will join the choir to perform popular tunes of the period, including “Pack Up Your Troubles (in your old kit bag)” and “It’s a long Way to Tipperary”.

The Graduate Choir “Music for War and Peace” concert will be introduced by museum Director Roy Clare, and will be the opening event in a month of WWI centennial commemorations and activities at Auckland War Memorial Museum.

The Graduate Choir NZ “Music for War and Peace”, with guest artist Dame Malvina Major, is on Monday August 4 at 7.30pm, World War I Sanctuary, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Domain. Entry is through the museum’s original front entrance – the north cenotaph end.

Tickets $25 are $15 concession, and can be purchased at iticket.co.nz or ph. 058 iticket.   Seating is limited so bookings are highly recommended.     www.graduatechoir.co.nz

For further information contact:

Helen Goudge

021 -0834 2577

helengoudgemusic@gmail.com