Meet the Makers: St Matthew Passion
Published: Thursday 5 October, 2023
Ahead of 2023’s Auckland Choral St. Matthew Passion, widely considered one of the greatest masterpieces in Western Sacred music. With its double orchestra and chorus, this is a work of enormous proportions in every sense. Featuring some of the greatest conductors, tenors, sopranos and bassists, we had the privilege of sitting down with them to hear about what inspires them, drives them and chat all things St. Matthew’s Passion.
Now sit tight and meet the soloists!
James loelu - Jesus
Introduce yourself and your arts practice.
My name is James Ioelu and I am a Bass-Baritone. I am a classically trained singer and I enjoy singing opera, classical music and anything else I can get involved with.
What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
I love the fact that this career has taken me all over the world with places and experiences that I would not have enjoyed if not for music. I particularly appreciate the opportunities to work with fantastic musicians as well as watching young singers really discover their craft and voices. It is exciting to see how many young New Zealanders are creating their own paths in this industry.
What’s the hardest thing about what you do?
Having to be away from my family for long periods of time.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
You can only control the things you can do. Don't worry about things outside your control.
What’s the best show you’ve seen this year?
My sons Year 7 singing competition at St Peters College.
Who are your favourite artists/theatre companies/musicians etc. and why?
There are too many to name!
Sarah Court - Mezzo Soprano
What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
I love to sing - I've always sung, ever since I was a very small child. I love being in the flow of the music and collaborating with my colleagues.
What’s the hardest thing about what you do?
Probably the anxiety and the constant inner critic!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Your performance must always cost you something. An audience will always know when you are not giving fully or authentically of yourself.
What’s the best show you’ve seen this year?
The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch with my four year old boy. It was his first trip to the theatre and he loved it!
Tell us about St. Matthew Passion.
I could talk to you about the St. Matthew Passion all day. You'll have to ask something more targeted if you don't want me to go off on some long, rambling rant. Bach is life.
What can audiences expect from St. Matthew Passion?
Nourishment for the soul, the mind, and the heart. Deep prayerful and mindful exploration of the extent of human suffering. Communion with the divine.
Iain Tetley - Tenor Evangelist Soloist
Introduce yourself and your arts practice.
I am a professional singer who has had the privilege of singing as a soloist with a number of choirs around New Zealand for about 25 years, and I've been a past member of three prominent choirs in Auckland, the Dorian Choir, Bach Musica and Musica Sacra. I also conduct choirs, a subject I studied for my Finals at university, and have directed seven choirs for periods ranging from two to nine years, the most recent and current two of these being Schola Sacra Choir and the Whanganui Collegiate School Chapel Choir in Whanganui.
What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
The freedom to learn and musically interpret solo music that I sing, with the end result of entertaining concert-goers to a performance that contains the clearest message and emotion in the music.
What’s the hardest thing about what you do?
There are some foreign languages that I find the most difficult aspect of learning to sing challenging new music. I find that some languages require a huge amount of practice to sing fluently and correctly with authentic pronunciation, and then there’s also the learning of exactly what I am singing about in these foreign languages, so that I sing the music meaningfully for their native speakers.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My best advice has been to be relaxed when performing, which comes about through the hard work of preparation; without preparation and thoroughly knowing the music, any uncertainty that sets in can be very damaging to one’s confidence with singing! Luckily there is only one example of that that I can remember, a very small solo role that I sang in a concert many years ago, for which I had underestimated the work required and therefore hadn’t prepared enough, and it was nerve-wracking in the concert, but fortunately all went well in performance!
What’s the best show you’ve seen this year?
Living in Whanganui, I actually go to very few concerts, and I’m afraid there’s nothing that sticks out in my memory. The best audience response was the enthusiasm of the audience at a concert of Coronation music that I conducted with my Whanganui choir Schola Sacra, but I shouldn’t really mention that, as the conductor! I had set the choir some complex music to sing, and they rose very well to the challenge; the local audience really appreciated the commitment of the choir, for example singing 8-part double-choir music by Orlando Gibbons!
Who are your favourite artists/theatre companies/musicians etc. and why?
I’m afraid I’ve never really thought of any “favourites” in these categories. Pavarotti I have always found most impressive with the effortless of his singing, even in the most massive music, and I’ve heard many very beautiful voices, choirs and orchestras, especially on the internet, but I can’t pick their names out. Sorry, that feels like a very inadequate response!
