September promises to be a vibrant month for music lovers in Whakatāne, with two highly anticipated concerts.

First, Edgecumbe Choir will present F.J. Haydn’s Creation on September 7th and 8th, featuring organist Douglas Mews.

A week later, on Sunday, September 15th, the Scholars Baroque Aotearoa will perform a concert featuring Schumann’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42.

Chalium Poppy, musical director for both choirs, recalls the first time he heard Creation:

“From the very first note – a powerful C spanning four octaves – Haydn’s depiction of chaos and the birth of life gripped me. What follows is one of the most joyous and optimistic musical celebrations of life on our planet.”

Composed between 1797 and 1798, Creation marks a significant point in Haydn’s career. The oratorio, based on the biblical account of the world’s creation and Milton’s Paradise Lost, is divided into three parts: the creation of light, the heavens, and the earth; the emergence of plants, animals, and humans; and finally, a celebration of creation’s completion.

Haydn’s work is renowned for its grandeur, emotional depth, and vivid imagery. The lush orchestration, intricate choral arrangements, and exquisite solo arias capture the wonder of creation, painting an evocative picture of the natural world.

Reflecting on the work’s modern relevance, Poppy said: “Aotearoa’s beauty often overwhelms me. While driving from Mount Maunganui to Whakatāne, I imagined how Haydn might have composed the sounds of our landscape – the ruru’s midnight call, the kiwi’s sacred cry, or the mighty roar of the Waikato. This is a story yet to be told through music.”

Poppy invites the audience to immerse themselves in the beauty of Haydn’s music and reflect on the magnificence of the planet we all share.

“My heart soars at the music of creation, and I pray that yours does, too.”

FJ Haydn’s Creation by The Edgecumbe Choir

When: 4pm, Saturday, September 7, and 2pm, Sunday September 8

Where: The Church of St George and St John, Whakatāne
Ticket price: Under-18 $5, adults $35, discount for early bird purchases before August 26 via website: https://www.edgecumbechoir.org/buy-tickets/, Good Life on The Strand and

Scholars Baroque Aotearoa concert

When: 3pm, Sunday, September 15

Where: The Church of St George and St John, Whakatane
Tickets: via iTICKET or at the door (cash only): adults $35, seniors $30, students $15