News: Archives
2017: ANOTHER BUSY & SUCCESSFUL YEAR!
Competition successes in 2017:
1. 1st place in the ensemble viola section of the Australia New Zealand Viola Society composer's competition for "Are We There Yet?" (for 5 violas).
2. 3rd place in the 4th Komos Choral Composers' Competition (Bologna, Italy) for "Cling to Me".
Works completed...
"Meeting Place" for Maori instruments, strings, and harp (written for ACG PArnell College Chamber Orchestra)
"String Theory" for 2 violins, viola, piano
"On That Day Again" for piano solo
"Imagined Dances II" for viola d’amore, cello, guitar
"Jalan Pekeliling" for concert band (written for Auckland Grammar School Premier Concert Band)
'Mein Leben Ist Nicht Diese Steile Stunde" for 5-part male voices (CtTTBB)
"Song of the Gumfield" for male voices (Tr.(Opt)Tbb)
'Cling To Me" for TTBB (awarded 3rd place in the Komos Choral Composition Competition 2017 - Bologna, Italy)
'Christmas Day" SSAATTBB
'Sea Song" for SA, piano (written for Black Watch Singers, St Cuthbert's College)
'When Night is Over" for soprano saxophone, SATB, organ (written for Choralation, Westlake Boys and Girls High Schools)
'Places Among the Stars" for soprano and baritone soloists, SATB, organ (written for Pakuranga Choral Society)
'I Carry Your Heart With Me" for 2 SATB choirs, organ
'Family Matters" for unaccompanied SATB (written for Viva Voce)
'Was It Light That Spake? for SSAATTBB, piano
"Land, Sea and Stars" for soprano and mezzo-soprano solo, SSA and SA choirs, orchestra (picc222bcl2;3331;timp;3perc;pf;str) (commissioned by Epsom Girls Grammar School for the school's centennial)
'Unity" for counter-tenor, SATB choir, chamber orchestra (1220;2000;perc,str)
2016 : Another year with many requests for new music including a major commission for Auckland Choral
"Erebus" (soprano and baritone soloists, SAATBB choir, 2 pianos and 6 percussion) - commissioned by Auckland Choral
"Joy" (SSAATTBB, organ) - for Choralation (Westlake Girls and Boys High schools)
"Karakia of the Moon" (SSAA, piano) - for Cantare (Westlake Girls High School)
"The Stars are with the Voyager" (SA, piano) - for Nota Bella (Westlake Girls High School)
"Floradora Doe" (SA, piano) - for En Masse (Westlake Girls High School)
"Parlour Games" (string quartet) - for the Jade Quartet
"When the Sun Comes After Rain" (SATB, piano) - for ACG Parnell Chamber Choir
"The Musical Director" (SATB, piano) - for Taupo Choral Society on the occasion of its 40th birthday
"Elemental Haiku" (piano solo)
"The Jonbar Hinge" (for trumpet, bass trombone, violin, viola and piano duet) - for students of ACG Parnell College
"Te Rangatira ai" (SSA, flute and piano) - commissioned by Waikato Diocesan School, Hamilton
"May the Light that Shows the Way" (unison voices and/or choir, piano/organ) - commissioned by the Community of St Luke, Auckland
"The Dark and Shining Tide" (SSAA, flute, percussion, string quartet and piano) - for Cantare (Westlake Girls High School)
"To A Child" (SSATB)
"I am Growing a Glorious Garden" (SA, piano) - for En Masse (Westlake Girls High School)
Poster for Auckland Choral's performance of "Erebus" (2016)
2015 : A busy year for composing
The year saw a significant number of new works including several commissioned by schools for this year's "The Big Sing' choral competition.
"Riding the Rails" (6 hands, one piano)
"Carousel" (alto sax, tenor sax, piano)
"Sunrise at Mangawhai" (SSAATTBB unaccompanied - for Choralation choir from Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools)
"Mihi" (SSAA piano - for Cantare choir at Westlake Girls High School)
"Lullaby for Matariki" (SA, piano duet - for Nota Bella choir at Westlake Girls High School)
"A Sacred Heart Hymn" (2-part male voices, piano - commissioned by Sacred Heart College, Auckland)
"Whaia te iti kahurangi" (TTBB, piano - commissioned by One Tree Hill College, Auckland)
"The Tree of Love" (SSA, flute and piano - commissioned for the chapel choir by Woodford House, Havelock North)
"The Man from the Land of Fandango" (for Diocesan School for Girls)
"Paper Cut" (for piano and concert band - for the Premier Concert Band at Auckland Grammar School)
"Sound Over All Waters" (SATB, organ - written as a gift to my good friend, choral director at Georgia College, Dr Jennifer Flory)
"Blessing for a New-Born Child" (SATB, cello - written for the baptism of Alexandra Rose Szabó Johnston)
"Concerto for Piano Duet" (III: Boogie for Liz) (piano duet (4 hands, one piano), and orchestra - written for Taharoto Orchestra (Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools))
"Aotearoa Fanfare" (for Auckland Symphony Orchestra)
"The Faraday Cage" (violin, cello and piano -for the NZ Trio)
"Yellow Songs" (5 songs for tenor and piano)
"A Santa Claus Suite" (SA choir and orchestra - for North Shore Children's Choir and North Shore Junior Orchestra)
2014 Composing News
New works were produced for the following groups:
Georgia College (Milledgeville GA, USA): "When the Cold Awakens" (premiered 5 December)
for solo mezzo, SSA and SATB choirs, and chamber ensemble.
Community of St Luke's Choir: "A Mass for the Community of St Luke" (premiered on 19 October) for
SATB choir and organ
Nota Bene Choir (Wellington): "Canción de Invierno" (premiered on 14 September, conducted by
Christine Argyle) for SSAATB choir.
Viva Voce: "The Bridge of Love": for choir and piano duet (premiered on 23 March)
Cantare (Westlake Girls High School): "Karanga of the Winds" for 2 SSA choirs and piano
President Hamilton
At the choir's 2014 annual general meeting, Auckland Choral elected me as President of the choir. This largely titular position, has generally held by a past member of long-standing, or someone with long association with the choir.
Sing Aotearoa 2013
The national choral event returned in 2013, again taking place in Rotorua. This major gathering of choirs and choral people occurs every three or four years. The featured composer in 2013 was David Hamilton! A new work, "A Traveller's Prayer: Ka u ki Matanuku", was written for the event and featured in the 'forest sing' experience.
Two new CDs of Hamilton choral works are now available.
At the end of 2012, two new compilations of choral music were put together. The new compilation of treble-voice music includes a work written for highly regarded Seattle choir Mirinesse Women's Choir. And the new mixed-voice compilation includes some of the composer's most widely performed choral works. The CDs are (with lists of works on each CD):
The Treble-Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Volume 4
Prayer of a Woman
We Shall Walk Through the Valley
A Child Lay in a Little Crib
Shepherd’s Song at Christmas
The Son of the Virgin
My Master Hath a Garden
Walk You in the Light
A Song of Ruth
Such a Parcel of Rogues (song by Robert Rurns)
Road’s End
Count Me the Stars
A Peace Prayer
De Angel Roll De Stone Away
Full Moon Rhyme
There Will Come Soft Rains
Ave Maris Stella
A Blessing for Saint Kentigern
Music for Mixed-Voice Choirs Volume 2
Ecce beatam lucem
Angele Dei
Caliban’s Song
Three Spirituals
Whosoever will
In the garden
Walk you in the light
The Pale and Silver Moon’s Blue Silk and Blossom
Rakiura
The Moon is Silently Singing
Veni Sancte Spiritus
Karanga
Dance Song to the Creator
Neither of these is a commercial release, so copies are only available directly from the composer.
Wet weather and a warm welcome in Wales!
In mid-May an unexpected invitation came to join the adjudication team at the world-famous Eisteddfod in Llangollen in Wales (UK) during the first week of July. This annual event includes a range of performing arts' competitions including major choral competitions culminating in the "Choir of the World". This is the same event that the New Zealand Youth Choir won in 1999. It was a challenge to get flights out of NZ at short notice, being the end of the school term and also high season for travel to Europe and the UK. And of course the Olympics are on from late July in London.
The event ran from 3rd to 8th July, and included solo vocal and instrumental categories, folk music (small and large groups), barbershop choruses, and choral categories. In addition to the main pavilion where most competitive events occur, there were several other 'stages' where concerts took places throughout the day. And various other events took places in venues around the small town of Llangollen. With relatively few exceptions the standard of performance is high, especially from the choirs. I particularly enjoyed being part of the team adjudicating the 'senior children's choir' category (choirs ages 12-18 years) and was impressed by the quality of singing at the top end. It was also interesting to hear some diverse and challenging repertoire, with choirs offering pieces of real substance and interest. The contest draws heavily from England and Wales, but groups travelled from as far away as Australia, the USA, and Singapore, with folk groups from diverse cultures including India, Turkey and Algeria. This year's "Choir of the World" was the fine German male-voice choir Delica Ton.
Apart from the final night, the evenings consisted of public concerts in the 4000-seat pavilion. A major event was the performance of Karl Jenkins' new work "The Peacemakers" premiered in New York in early 2012. This substantial piece received a warm reception from the audience.
Unfortunately the weather did not co-operate, and some said it was the wettest eisteddfod in memory! At times the rain threatened to drown out the softer singing in the pavilion, and one choir hardly needed to use the rain sticks that featured in their piece. The eisteddfod brings together a wide range of cultures and performers, and amongst the adjudication team there were representatives from Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Canada, Ireland, England and Wales. And of course New Zealand - possibly for the first time on the adjudication panel.
Llangollen provided a warm welcome and the town embraces the eisteddfod whole-heartedly, from the opening day's parade to the strong support for all the events both day and night. Colourful flags decorate the streets, and colourful costumes could be seen everywhere. Certainly a model of international co-operation and artistic collaboration. And most of those working behind the scenes doing it all on a volunteer basis. An event to be treasured, and an event to be seen if at all possible.
For another perspective on Llangollen's eisteddfod, here is a link to a blog by one of the other adjudicators, Liz Garnett:
http://www.helpingyouharmonise.com/llangollen
New choral work for Georgia College and State University, USA
On March 17th 2012 the women's choir and orchestra of Georgia College and State University premiered "Serenade" commissioned by the institution. Conducted by Dr Jennifer Flory, the choirs at the university have performed several Hamilton pieces, including "There Will Come Soft Rains". The new work is a setting of a poem by Edward Coote Pinkney. The composer was at Georgia College for the week leading up to the première presenting workshops and lectures.
Now Available: Treble-Voice Choral Music CD Volume 3
Recorded in February 2011, a set of pieces for two-part treble voices and piano is now available on CD. Recorded by a specially formed group, with two tracks sung by Auckland Boys' Choir as a bonus. Contact the composer for details on ordering the CD. The pieces included on the CD are:
1. Kia hora te marino
2. Child of my heart
3. Moon Fish
4. Friends
5. When my Mother sings to me
6. Dear Santa
7. Tell me again (the story of Christmas)
8. Ave Maria
9. Two Blessings
- Ko Ihu te Ariki.
- Tiaho I roto
10. A Blessing for this Day
11. Magnificat
12. A Blessing for Saint Kentigern
"School's out as composer gets serious"
This headline in the Monday November 18 2001 issue of the NZ Herald, headed an article about the move from teaching full-time to composing.
The article can still be checked out at the NZ Herald’s website by accessing the following link:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=228873
THESE ITEMS HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPEARED IN THE NEWS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE AND ARE ARCHIVED HERE FOR REFERENCE.
2014 Composition Competition Success
"Wairua" for solo harp won 1st place in the 2014 competition for a new work for solo harp, organised by the University of Waikato and the Harp Society of NZ. The work ("Wairua") was presented at the international World Harp Congress in Sydney in July 2014. The judging panel praised the work for its "...skilful composition and imaginative use of the resources of the concert harp, while also opening up a very engaging sound world for listeners".
Other new works 2012, including a major work for Auckland Choral
Auckland Choral will present a new Hamilton work on 25 August 2012. The new piece, "The Necessary Rain" is a further setting of a text by Bill Sewell from his cycle of poems "Erebus". This work follows on from "Breaking the Quiet" for baritone and orchestra written in 2008. Both works set texts relating to the crash of an Air New Zealand sight-seeing flight in the Antarctic on 28 November 1979. At the time it was the world’s fourth worst aviation disaster, killing 257 passengers and crew. Both pieces are beginning steps towards an opera based on that event, and more particularly on the aftermath – the royal commission and its conclusions. “Erebus: a poem” by Bill Sewell was published in 1999. It is an extended poem in thirty-four sections, and covers not only the events of the crash, but also the aftermath and its effect on New Zealand society. “The Necessary Rain” is the sixteenth section of the poem, and as with “Breaking the Quiet” the poet draws attention to the fact that nobody was there to witness the crash, and nobody was there who could have warned the pilot of the imminent danger as the plane headed directly at Mount Erebus. Here is a link to an article in Auckland's Central Leader:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/7399213/Win-tickets-to-Erebus-tribute
Premiered at the Westlake Girls' and Boys' High Schools' proms concert on 30th March were two new works:
"Children of the Fire Gods" written for the Westlake Symphony Orchestra (conducted by David Squire). This will feature in the orchestra's program for the KBB Music Festival in Auckland in August.
"Ecce beatam lucem" written for NZ's top school choir Choralation (conducted by Rowan Johnston). This is part of the choir's repertoire for The Big Sing national finale.
On 23 June, GALS (Auckland's Gay and Lesbian Singers) gave the first performance of "A Bright Light Still Shines" for SATB choir and piano. It was warmly received by a large crowd at the choir's mid-year concert. GALS celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012, and is commissioning a new Hamilton piece for the choir's celebration concert in late October. A video of the premiere performance can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT4sY8y-q_s
A new work for two percussionists and orchestra was premiered by Taranaki Youth Orchestra combined with the New Plymouth Orchestra on Sunday 22 July. "Double Percussion Concerto No.2" has been written for two fine young percussionists from New Plymouth. A capacity audience greeted the new work warmly, and a link to the performance on YouTube can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a-BBy7rtZ4
In 2012 the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is running a series of workshops for six selected composers to write works for the newly restored Auckland Town Hall organ with full symphony orchestra. The project began with a selection process based on proposals put forward by composers, and in May the first workshop was held. Whatever the composers had ready was played through and the composers then went off to re-work, re-write and extend what they had already done. The next workshops are in August and November, with a performance of the six new pieces scheduled for 23 May 2013. The new Hamilton work is titled "Chimera" and will feature Auckland's civic organist John Wells.
Three new works for community choirs (2011)
On 18 December 2011, South Auckland Choral Society premiered a new Christmas work for choir and brass band. Commissioned by the choir, the work consist of five movements - one for the band alone. The texts of "Christmas Here and There" contrast the New Zealand summertime experience of Christmas, with the more traditional northern hemisphere winter Christmas images.
During the early part of 2011 David Hamilton worked with Pakuranga Choral Society and Mercury Bay Community Choir (Whitianga). New works were written for both choirs. For Pakuranga Choral Society "The Shop of Dreams" sets seven lullaby texts - and even includes a special part for the audience to join in with at the end of the work! Alongside the more gentle traditional kinds of lullaby texts are settings of Jack Prelutsky's :Last Night I Dreamed of Chickens" and a rollicking Margaret Mahy text "Baby is Falling Asleep". The work is scored for alto solo, SAB choir and piano and was premiered the weekend of 11 and 12 June in concerts at Morrinsville on the Saturday and Howick on the Sunday afternoons..
For Mercury Bay Community Choir the new work was "Down on the Farm". This cycle of five movements sets New Zealand poetry about the landscape and farming. The first is a witty story of a rather vain and fussy cow called Belinda, who wanted to enter the cow beauty show. Arriving late, she had to be content with being given some money by the man at the gate, for her own manicure set and a mirror. The second text is a brief Ruth Dallas poem about the constantly changing colours of the flowers in a summer meadow. The third text is about a dog whose owner realises that a small garden was not where the animal desired to live - he wanted to roam the hills as a sheep dog. ‘Drought’, the fourth text, is a short poem describing the landscape during a hot dry spell of weather. The final text tells of beginning a new farm on land that has been let go to ragwort and fern. This new work, for SAB choir and piano, premiered on Sunday 29th May in a concert in Whitianga which also featured St Mary's Schola from St Mary's College in Auckland.
Napier Civic Choir premieres "Awful Ogre's Awful Day"
On Sunday 15 August 2010 Napier Civic Choir, conducted by the composer, presented the first performance of "Awful Ogre's Awful Day" - a setting of texts from the poetry book by Jack Prelutsky. Also on the programme was a performance of Haydn's "Nelson Mass". The review in the local paper commented:
"...David Hamilton's precise direction ensured the high overall quality of an expressive performance. 'Awful Ogre's Awful Day' is a setting of nine clever and amusing verses for children by American poet Jack Prelutsky. As well as a highly skilled conductor, David Hamilton is an established international composer with many acclaimed compositions to his credit. His ability in this art was certainly evident with the appropriate character of each verse captured in his widely varied and innovative settings."
(Peter Williams, Hawkes Bay Today,16 August 2010)
A second conducting engagement for the year occured in late November - an invitation from South Auckland Choral Society to conduct their Christmas concert saw performances of Saint-Saens "Christmas Oratorio" and the Christmas work "The Road to Bethlehem" written by the conductor.
Major performances in 2010
The early part of 2010 saw several new works being premiered. "Flight" was commissioned by the Manukau Symphony Orchestra as a short fanfare-like concert opener for the orchestra's first concert of the year. It was conducted by the orchestra's Music Director Uwe Grodd in the orchestra's first concert for the year.
"Me he korokoro tui" was commissioned by the Out and Loud Festival. This gathering of gay and lesbian choirs was held in New Zealand for the first time, and attracted choirs from Australia and the USA as well as local groups. The performance was conducted by noted choral conductor Karen Grylls on Easter Sunday (4th April) in the Auckland Town Hall. The work also featured the Town Hall's recently refurbished organ.
Auckland choir Viva Voce celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010 and for the concert on 25th April a new choral work was requested by conductor John Rosser. He asked for something which referenced silver in some way, and the text set is "The Pale and Silver Moon's Blue Silk and Blossom" by American (?) poet Michael Reston. The work is slow moving and spacious with plenty of lush harmonies. (Incidentally, if anyone knows Michael Reston - or spots this reference to his poem - please get him to contact me. I found the poem on poemhunter.com and I haven't managed to make contact with the poet yet.)
Sunday 2nd May saw a new work being premiered by South Auckland Choral Society under Peter Watts. The concert was a programme devoted to Saint Cecilia (the patron saint of music) and the new piece, "And Music's Power Obey" sets three texts on the subject of music.
As usual The Big Sing, the annual choral contest for secondary schools, saw a large number of Hamilton pieces performed. In Auckland 20 of the 54 choirs chose Hamilton works as their NZ performance. Included was a new work written for Choralation (Westlake Girls' and Boys' High Schools) - a setting of a text by Spanish poet Machado "Una Noche de Verano".
Experiences in Trelew (Argentina) at the 9th International Choral Festival
From 13-19 September I was privileged to be on the jury for this choral contest in Argentina. Trelew is a regional city, about 2 hours flying south of Buenos Aires in the Patagonia region. Occurring every two years, the contest largely attracts choirs from Latin America, but this year the Latvian Male Choir also attended. A pre-selection process ensures that the choirs taking part are of a good standard, and the prize money on offer is not inconsequential. First prize in one category was 6000 pesos – about NZ$2,200.
One of my tasks was to conduct the massed choirs in one piece, rehearsed during the morning massed singing session. For this I used an arrangement I had made of “Me He Manu Rere”. The massed singing was led by Steen Lindholm from Denmark, a delightfully engaging conductor who had the singers right in the palm of his hand.
A second task was to lead a workshop each morning. The choirs were divided amongst the jury members, and we saw the same group four times for an hour and half each time. For this I conducted my arrangement of “Hine e Hine”, my own “Blessing”, and Anthony Ritchie’s “Timepiece”. The last of these proved a challenge for the group, but they were determined to sing it on the last day in concert – and they managed a very creditable performance. I was a little dismayed on arrival to discover my workshop had been called “Traditional Maori Music”, so I swiftly emailed SOUNZ for some material that I could show to my workshop group to give them an idea of what true traditional Maori music sounded like and how it looked when notated.
The final duty of the five jurors (two from Argentina, and one each from Finland, Kenya, and New Zealand) was to judge the competitive sessions. These were done by theme: folk music, and sacred music, and then by choir type: female choirs, chamber choirs (up to 20 voices) and mixed-voice choirs. Several of the choirs sang in more than one voice-type category by entering their women’s section, or their best singers as a chamber choir.
The standard of the best choirs was very high and there was some heated discussion amongst the jury members on several occasions. Repertoire ranged from Renaissance polyphony through to contemporary Argentinean works. There were several special awards including one for a piece first heard at the contest. Set test pieces were also included in some categories.
Everyone was very welcoming and generous, and Trelew is in an interesting part of the country. There is a strong Welsh presence in the area, and in nearby Gaiman Welsh is still spoken and taught to young people. It even boasts its own Eisteddfod! The next World Choral Symposium is also based in this area – centred on the nearby coastal city of Puerto Madryn. The Trelew festival director, Daniel Garavano, is heading the Symposium organisation for 2011. The next contest in Trelew is therefore not until 2013.
Auckland Choral premieres new work, plus some other first performances in 2009...
"Orpheus" written to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Haydn, was premiered in Napier on 25th July 2009 by Auckland Choral. The choir then presented the work to Auckland audiences a week later. Setting a poem by American poet William Jay Smith, this 9-minute work is scored for alto solo, choir and organ. NZ Herald reviewer William Dart commented:
"After a robust start, with a bracingly confident choir against John Wells' sometimes tumultuous organ toccata, Hamilton carefully drew out specific words and images through his music. (Kate) Spence's shapely melodic line was beautifully turned, especially when the poem transported us to places extraterrestrial. ...the final combination of vibrant vocalising and instrumental splendour were the perfect celebration of both Haydn and the composer's singing colleagues." (William Dart in the NZ Herald, 4 August 2009)
In mid-June Auckland Chamber Orchestra gave the first performance of "Hine Raukatauri", the flute concerto that won an international competition for composers in 2007. The soloist was Alexa Still. The work is being used as a test piece in the performers' part of the same competition in Haifa, Israel this year.
On 6th August, the orchestra of Auckland Grammar School gave the first performance of the Concertino for Percussion and Chamber Orchestra. Written specifically for the school, the work featured young percussionist Laurence McFarlane, and the performance was conducted by Head of Music Dr Nelson Wu.
Early June 2009 also saw the premiere performance of "Kristallnacht". This score was written for a group of students at New Plymouth Boys High School, and their performance won the regional section of the Chamber Music NZ chamber music contest. The unusual scoring is for flute, guitar, 2 percussion, and piano.
Another Hamilton success in international competitions
Late in 2008 David Hamilton took 2nd place in a composer's competition run by The Chapter House Choir (York, England). Setting a text by New Zealand hymn writer Colin Gibson, "Carol of Cold Comfort" was one of 67 entries from around the world. The work was scheduled for performance in the choir's annual carol concerts in mid-December, broadcast by the BBC. One of the adjudicators was the choir's founder Andrew Carter, who spent a year in Auckland in 1984 conducting choirs. There is further information about the choir at its website.
Treble-voice choral music Volume 2 CD now available
Click here to see an image of the new CD of David Hamilton's treble voice music. Available directly from the composer (not available in shops!). Performances by various choirs. Includes the Christmas cycle for SSA choir, harp and percussion "A Child Comes Forth".
Auckland Choral in Hamilton celebration
On July 5th 2008 Auckland Choral's 2nd subscription concert was a celebration of Hamilton with 4 works on the programme, alongside Haydn's "Te Deum" and Bach's Cantata No. 98.. Conducted by the composer the programme featured "Well Done, Mister Bach" (for string orchestra), "Whisper to me" (for women's choir and strings), "Monday's Troll" (for bass clarinet, choir and orchestra) and a new orchestral scoring of "Te Deum". Of this last work, reviewer William Dart in the NZ Herald said:
"Hamilton's Te Deum has pedigree. Originally commissioned by the Auckland Choral Society, it was impressive 22 years ago, and, a over-boisterous 'Amen' excepted, it wears its age well. (Kate) Spence was at her radiant best, Auckland Choral threw themselves into some radical 80s vocalising, while youngsters from the Auckland Youth Choir, Kentoris and Diocesan Senior Choir, sprightly brass and percussion, and John Wells rumbling away on the organ ensured this was the full Technicolor splash."
Concerto wins 1st prize in Israel composers' competition, plus another choral composing success
"Hine Raukatauri", a concerto for flute, string orchestra, harp and percussion, has been placed first in the Haifa International Composers Competition 2007. The work is intended for performance by the Israel String Ensemble, a group consisting of leading players from the Israel Philharmonic and other top Israeli string players. The competition was open to composers internationally, and the jury selected 11 entries to compete for the prize. Hine Raukatauri is the Maori goddess of the flute, and the work includes music suggestive of New Zealand birdsong.
This was followed at the end of the year by a second place in the Longfellow Chorus Composers' Competition in the USA. A setting of "The Singers" by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was awarded the Longfellow Chorus Director's Prize. of the work the adjudicators said: "'The Singers' is a work of artistry that will engage singers and audience on several levels: intellectual, creative and expressive."
"Missa Pacifica" premiere and subsequent performances
"Missa Pacifica", commissioned by Auckland Choral to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2005, was premiered on 6th November 2005. The piece set the traditional Latin Mass text with additional texts from traditional Maori sources, New Zealand writers Joy Cowley, Patricia Grace and Hirini Melbourne, and Singaporean writer Edwin Thumboo. The performance, conducted by Peter Watts, featured soloists Morag Atchison and Kate Spence, Piper's Sinfonia and several of Auckland's best secondary school choirs.
William Dart, reviewing the work in the NZ Herald on 9th November, called the work "...a triumph of innovation and vibrancy". He said:
"A more welcoming score you could not imagine, with Hamilton sneaking in a few progressions from the Howard Shore chord book. But, Hollywood moments aside, it was the sheer inventiveness of the composer that made the work so vibrant....This was a solid and exciting piece, written with the balance of expertise and sensitivity that should ensure it is picked up by other enterprising choral groups."
Read the entire review through this link (note that this may only be available as "subscription only" material):
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=00005743-18FC-1370-8A6483027AF10333
You can also read an article published on 2nd November which previewed the performance of "Missa Pacifica". The article came from an extended interview with the composer and includes background on David Hamilton and also Auckland Choral. Follow this link:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/story.cfm?a_id=185&ObjectID=10353062
Within a year of its premiere performance in November 2005, "Missa Pacifica" chalked up 4 performances - the latest in Dunedin on October 7th 2006. Under conductor David Burchell, it was performed by the City of Dunedin Choir and the Southern Sinfonia, with soloists Anna Cors and Kate Spence. The Otago Daily Times headlined their review: "Outstanding NZ choral work well received". Reviewer Anthony Ritchie commented: "Given the background to the work, it is hardly surprising there are several references to Pacific Island styles of music as well as Maori. These provided some of the work's most vibrant sounds, from pounding of the log drums to the gentle strumming of the ukulele-like violins. The inclusion of a youth choir as well as the main choir in these sections was a masterstroke: it provided a freshness of sound to the work."
"Missa Pacifica" also received 2 performances by The Queensland Choir (conductor Kevin Power) in June 2006. The performances were in Brisbane (4th June) and Ipswich (17th June). The performances featured two different groups of school choirs. The performances were accompanied by a specially constituted orchestra, and the soloists were Amy Wilkinson (soprano) and Georgia Hawes (alto).
"Young soloists shine in enjoyable eclectic mixture"
So ran the headline in the NZ Herald of 31 July 2006 reviewing the concert by Auckland Choral of Saturday 29 July 2006. Conducted by David Hamilton, the concert featured Constant Lambert's "The Rio Grande" and Haydn's "Nelson Mass" along with 3 New Zealand pieces: Jenny McLeod's "Hymn for the Lady", Graham Parsons' "Sing a New Song to the Lord", and Hamilton's own "Night Visions". Reviewer William Dart commented:
"The best of the locals was David Hamilton's "Night Visions", five settings in which tunefulness was the order of the evening. Soprano Morag Atchison relished her shivery descants during the skeleton's final dance. Hamilton's astute writing revealed Auckland Choral at its most confident, thrillingly so in "The Middle of the Night"."
Five premieres in one week!
The middle of June 2006 saw a concentration of first performance of David Hamilton choral works.
First was the premiere of "A Winter Twilight" on Sunday 18 June. This was commissioned by Auckland Youth Choir, and features a number of 'contemporary' vocal techniques in an atmospheric impression of a winter's landscape. The Auckland regional competitions of The Big Sing on 20 and 21 June saw three new works for male voice choirs. These were "Ballad - O What is that Sound?" presented by Mainly Men of Rangitoto College; "Every Day'll Be Sunday" presented by Rosmini Boys' Choir (Rosmini College); and "The True History of Resurrection Jack" presented by the Dilworth Foundation Singers. Finally on Friday 23 June the highly acclaimed Key Cygnetures from Westlake Girls High School (conductor Elise Bradley) premiered a new Christmas cycle "A Child Comes Forth".
Another international competition win (2006). And a local one!
In February 2006 it was announced that David Hamilton's setting of Tennyson's poem "Ask Me No More" had taken the Ned Rorem Award for Song Composition in the USA. The setting is for soprano and piano. This award is another of the series promoted by NUVOVOX. This award follows on from the win in the choral composition section of the NUVOVOX awards in 2005 with "Deus, Deus meus" (a setting of the text "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?"). These award are organised as part of the Diana Barnhart American Song Competitions and Conference which supports the creation of new vocal and choral music.
"Dreamwaltz" won the competition organised by the New Zealand Flute Society. This five minute piece for solo flute was used as a test piece at the society's convention in June 2006.