A Seasonal Celebration — Scholars Baroque Aotearoa
A Seasonal Celebration — Scholars Baroque Aotearoa
Scholars Baroque Aotearoa invites you to a Seasonal Celebration, an evening honouring the joyful feast of St Cecilia, patron saint of music, and the warmth and anticipation of the Christmas season. This special programme is a one‑off offering for 2026, shaped to bring together two radiant traditions in a single festive concert.
We are delighted to welcome back soprano Elizabeth Mandeno and tenor Iain Tetley, both familiar and much‑admired voices in earlier Scholars Baroque performances. Their expressive clarity and refined musicianship bring a beautiful lift to this celebratory programme.
At the heart of the evening is Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day, a vibrant tribute to music’s power. Performances of St Cecilia works are rare in New Zealand, making this radiant ode a particularly special seasonal highlight. Inspired by Dryden’s vivid poetry, the music traces creation, emotion, and triumph through Handel’s unmistakable colour and brilliance.
Vivaldi’s Magnificat continues the celebration with bold contrasts and vivid sacred writing. Often performed at Christmas Vespers in Venice, the work carries a natural seasonal resonance. Its austere opening, fiery choral movements, and tender solos reveal Vivaldi at his most imaginative and expressive.
The programme concludes with Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto”, long cherished for its serene beauty and gentle lyricism. Its elegant writing for concertino and ripieno, expressive slow movements, and pastoral final adagio evoke the stillness, warmth, and hope of the Nativity.
We are also pleased to welcome back Opus Orchestra, long‑standing musical partners whose refined playing has shaped many of our most memorable performances. Under the direction of Chalium Poppy, they bring a distinctive richness to this luminous celebration of Baroque music and the festive season.
With only one performance and a limited number of seats, early booking is strongly advised to avoid disappointment.
