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"But the choir is the thing in the B minor Mass, and here the Orpheus covered itself with glory."
John Button, Dom Post
Reviews
Extracts from selected reviews:
The choirs begin to sing, like angels singing halos of tones...
Peter Mechen's Middle-C review of "On the Transmigration of Souls", 11 September 2011, is here.
Fortunately, Michael Fulcher directed a performance with a superbly just feeling for temp; never too slow and never – it would have been fatal, too fast. And he was given, as the underpinning to the performance, marvellous singing from his choir.
There was marvellous clarity and great certainty about the singing, either as a whole or when divided, and there was, too, a similar quality from the orchestra – divided into two groups – who showed an understanding of baroque style that would have been unthinkable not that long ago.
Click here for the full review of Bach's St Matthew Passion on 10 April 2011.
Peter Mechen's Middle-C review is here.
With good reason, for this was not only the most polished Messiah to have been heard for some time, it built to its second half climax with great skill, and a tremendous sense of release at the final chorus Worthy Is The Lamb. ...The choir sang superbly. The singers know the work inside out, but that alone does not explain the clarity and weight of the singing... More...
Michael Fulcher had rehearsed them very thoroughly and it paid off with singing of clarity, rhythmic verve and great precision.
Click here for a full review of Bach's Mass in B minor on 22 August 2010.
Also, click here for a review from Peter Mechen, Middle C, online classical music reviews.
The choral singing, too, was out of the top drawer; wonderfully rich and expansive in the climaxes and superbly controlled in the important hushed passages.
Click here for the full review of the Mahler Eighth Symphony concert in the New Zealand Festival of the Arts
Victor Young's When I Fall In Love, sung by the choir a capella with the utmost refinement, showing the beauty of a pure choral sound, capitavated the audience.
Click here for the full review of our Anything Goes concert
…The result of solid rehearsal under Michael Fulcher, on Friday evening and all day Saturday, achieved a performance of energy, clean attack and ensemble and confidence: its very opening pages were highly impressive and the sheer size of the choir produced a sometimes thrilling sound.
Click here for the full review of our Verdi Requiem concert
Around the world, large choirs are in decline. Fortunately, no-one told the Orpheus Choir. They are in great heart and Cloudburst, their imaginative programme of American choral works, attracted a generous-sized audience that clearly enjoyed the music as much as the performers did.
Click here for a review of our Cloudburst concert
The choral entries were stunning on single notes, the cries of “Herr!” in that opening chorus resounding through the building...
... the Orpheus’s attack with Wir haben keine König denn den Kaiser (We have no King but Caesar) was scalp-prickling, following on from the contrast of the Chorale Durch deine Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn (Your imprisonment, Son of God) with the savagery of Lässest du diesen los (If you let this man go). No wonder Bach was criticised by some of his contemporaries for presenting “opera in church”!
Bach's St John Passion, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, 29 March 2009, reviewed by Peter Mechen
Click here for the full review of our sell-out "St John Passion"
“The choir, and sub-choir ... sang with fervour and precision… Michael Fulcher is one of the best choral directors I have heard in front of an orchestra...”
Elgar's Dream Of Gerontius, Wellington Town Hall, 20 September 2008, reviewed by John Button
Click here for the full review
“With the text arranged by by Bernstein from the Psalms in their original Hebrew it can be a challenge for choirs, but the Orpheus Choir handled it with good diction and power, particularly when the whole choir was in full voice. They are a big choir but have agility and flexibility.”
Music From A Farr, Vector Wellington Orchestra, Town Hall, Saturday, 12 July 2008, reviewed by Garth Wilshere
Click here for the full review
“Looking splendid in black, the choir made an immediate impact with It's A Grand Night For Singing (Rodgers and Hammerstein), singing with razor-sharp ensemble and diction. Further impressed by sensitive lighting and Michael Fulcher's obvious comfort in his role, I settled down for a good evening.”
Orpheus At The Movies, Saturday 30 November 2007, Review by: Lindis Taylor
Click here for the full review
“All the musical forces were well prepared by conductor Michael Fulcher, who frequently got exhilarating performances.”
Click here for the full review
“The Orpheus Choir under Michael Fulcher was in good form, with vocal lines well delineated, singing with subtlety and attention to detail in the brief Kyrie from Hill's
Music of Alfred Hill,
Click here for the full review
“The choir... delivered all the punch needed in the dramatic choruses, and plenty of clarity and finesse elsewhere.”
Click here for the full review
"The Mozart pot-pourri that conductor Michael Fulcher devised attracted a good house, with the help of sponsors, Spicers, and their guests."
Music by Mozart. The Orpheus Choir conducted by Michael Fulcher with Morag Atchison, Ben Makisi, Anna Sedcole and Sarah Rooney; Vector Wellington Orchestra.
Click here for the full review
“The performances, directed with precision and idiomatic sensitivity by Michael Fulcher, were aurally and visually exciting”
Venetian Splendour: Renaissance Venetian music by the Gabrielis, Schütz and others,