Concert Programme
July 8 2026
Manawa Maiea o Matariki, Puanga
1
Original Song C’est la petite fill’ du prince by Francis Poulenc 1948
This song was written to welcome and celebrate french countryside life post WWII
As part of the Matariki Project in 2026, Kawiti Waetford translated and re-imagined 6 classical works spanning 400 years into te reo Māori including this beautiful rendition, welcoming Matariki to Te Tai Tokerau.
Soloists: Sarah Whittles, Zoë Pritchard, Josie Thompson, Sam Benge, Kaiser Jacoby and Don Saunders joined by Full Chorus
Conductor: Maria Satterfield
Pianist: Roger McCLean
Dies Irae
Michael John Trotta
2
“The Dies Irae is a Latin hymn that dates back to the 13th century, traditionally attributed to the Franciscan friar Thomas of Celano. Its title translates to Day of Judgment, and it is part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, serving as a powerful meditation on the Last Judgment. Historically, the Dies Irae has influenced a wide range of music, from classical compositions by Mozart and Verdi to modern adaptations in film scores and popular music. The chant’s somber themes and haunting melody have made it a significant cultural reference, symbolizing mortality and divine justice throughout centuries.” - https://www.mjtrotta.com/dies-irae/
The Choral Journal says “Trotta’s unique blend of engaging and artistic music creates opportunities to experience new music and empowers individuals to realize their artistic potential. His engaging style fuses tradition and innovation to create moments of beauty that “effectively carry out a dialogue between the [music] and the modern listener.”
Conductor: Sarah Whittles
Big Fish is about the stories we tell — to our children, to ourselves — and how those stories get tangled up with the reality of who we are.
This song is a heartbreaking goodbye that Sandra sings to her husband on his deathbed, and encapsulates the central theme of love that winds through this musical.
Womens Ensemble
I don’t need a Roof
from Big Fish
Andrew Lippa
3
Four Forever
from Dear Evan Hansen
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Book by Steven Levensen
4
Originally written as a solo for Evan in the musical, this song encapsulated Evan's desire to imagine a world where he was happy, socially connected, and had the friend he always longed for.
The musical duo re-wrote this song in 2019 to illustrate the global crossover of it’s reach, featuring four actors who had played Evan singing together in tight harmonies.
Singers: Ambroz Sileč, Lachie Antonio, LJ Volschenk, Jasper Satterfield
Silverfish (Excerpt only)
Anthony Ritchie
Poem by Michelanne Forster
5
Anthony Ritchie is a prolific New Zealand composer!
Silverfish highlights his playful style, using onomatopaeic styles to bring text to life through music. Anthony’s vocal composition is often rhythmically and melodically complex.
Singers: Bronwyn Kennaway, Rebecca Merry, Debi Walters, Debbie Graham, Mykah Drake, Nari Bahrinipour, Matthew Brereton, Don Saunders
He Moemoea - The Dream
Anthony Ritchie
Poem by Keri Hulme
The Silences Between and her book The Bone People
6
“And alone on the sand, Simon danced, being too full…. and his hands fling laughter to the winds, for his eyes are closed with the love in his heart, and his heart in his hands.”
This song was originally commissioned and written for the New Zealand Association of Singing Teachers' annual conference in Dunedin, 1992, a conference Joan Kennaway attended. For a some time, only the teachers at that conference had copies of this song and it was a staple duet for many of us as her students. The song is now included at ATCL level in the Trinity College of London’s syllabus for music exams.
Soloists: Rebecca Atkinson, Faith Tamaseu, Kaiser Jacoby, Nicholas Merry
Conductor: Maria Satterfield
Pianist: Roger McClean
Short break to top up your glasses!
Zarja
Damijan Močnik
7
Dawn,
brightest dawn rises upwards,
brightest dawn, upwards it goes,
behind it goes the sunshine,
o the yellow sunshine small
Sonce
Aldo Kumar
8
This song celebrates the Sun! Look how the sun rises, the whole world rejoices.
Conductor: Ana Erčulj
String Musicians: Michal Pearse, Chloe Cotterill, Kiani Christie, Tiina Stewart, Rachel Wilson
Pa se Sliś
Trad. arr. Karol Pahor
9
You can hear, you can hear,
The bell of Saint Vitus ringing.
Ta na Solbici
Samo Vovk
10
“and so we dance in Resia”
There was a wedding in the village Solbica
Feet hit the ground so loud they drown out the river Bila, echo off the Mountain Kanin and drown out the church bells!
Disney Princess Power Medley
QUIZZ!
11
Get your pens out and compete for the Princess Power Tiara!
Intermission
Letter to my 13 year old self
Laufey
1
Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir OTF, known mononymously as Laufey, is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her musical style blends genres such as jazz pop and classical music. Laufey began performing as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at age 15.
Soloists: Zoë Willem Pritchard and Maria Satterfield
Pianist: Delwyn Rusk
Little Miss Perfect
Joriah Kwame
2
Little Miss Perfect is a fan song by Joriah Kwame. It was originally written as part of a charity album based on 13 Reasons Why, benefiting suicide prevention. It’s popularity and it’s authentic representation of teenage life has spurred a whole new musical now being developed around the song and characters.
All day I hear the noise of water
Andrej Makor
3
ANDREJ MAKOR (b. 1987) from Slovenia. He graduated in music teaching, in solo singing and in music composition at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He has also recieved a Prešeren Award for students of University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).
Here he sets the 1905 James Joyce poem All day I hear the noise of Waters to an intricate cascade of echoing voices.
All day I hear the noise of waters
Making moan,
Sad as the sea-bird is when, going
Forth alone,
He hears the winds cry to the water's
Monotone.
The grey winds, the cold winds are blowing
Where I go.
I hear the noise of many waters
Far below.
All day, all night, I hear them flowing
To and fro
Conductor: Ana Erčulj
I Wanna go Back
from The Notebook The Musical
Ingrid Michaelson
4
Premiering in 2022, this new Musical has a timeless elegance. In the story, Noah Calhoun lives with his wife, Allie, in a retirement home. Allie is suffering from Alzheimer’s and struggles to remember her husband, children and grandchildren. Noah reads a love story to Allie from a notebook – the story of the two of them.
Soloists: Sarah Whittles and Theresa Wells
Pianist: Roger McClean
Actress for “Allie”: Eleanor Ashby
Whakarongo ki taku inoi
Fergus Byett
5
Originally hailing from the shores of Lake Taupō, Fergus Byett is a pianist and composer based in Hamilton, where he moved in 2019 to study a BMus majoring in Classical Performance (piano) at the University of Waikato. He completed his degree in 2021.
Whakarongo ki tāku inoi, e Ihowā, kia puta atu tāku tangi ki a koe
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my crying come unto thee
Conductor: Maria Satterfield
Blackbird
Originally by Paul McCartney
Arr: Soren James and Rhys Moon
6
Paul talks of how Blackbird was born out of a feeling of wanting to give hope, courage, solidarity to oppressed people of America. written just after the dearth of Martin Luther King, the word Bird was used as british slang for woman.
When I heard this Harvard Opportunes version in 8 parts, sometimes in 13, I couldn’t stop thinking listening to it. And now here it is for you.
Ensemble acapella led by Maria Satterfield.