Kathy Forsyth

Arts and entertainment reporter

Acclaimed regional chamber choir Scholars Baroque Aotearoa is returning to Whakatāne next weekend with an evening of powerful and emotive choral music.

It has been a few years since the Mount Maunganui-based ensemble last performed in town, and director Chalium Poppy said he was looking forward to bringing the group back to Eastern Bay audiences.

Known for its high standard, Scholars Baroque Aotearoa is made up of trained voices, many with formal musical qualifications. The group specialises in early and classical repertoire, delivering polished, expressive performances.

“Every time we do a concert, we always do one performance in Tauranga and the second performance we take to an outlying community, like Rotorua or Cambridge or Hamilton.”

The time was right to return to Whakatāne, he said.

The choir will present Joseph Haydn’s Stabat Mater at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 16, at St George and St John’s Church.

Described by Poppy as “magnificent, stirring and deeply emotional”, the work is one of Haydn’s earliest major choral compositions and helped establish his reputation.

“Most people know Haydn for The Creation, which I conducted in Whakatāne with the Edgecumbe Choir a few years ago,” Poppy said. “But Stabat Mater came earlier, and it established Haydn as a formidable choral conductor in Europe.”

Poppy said the work was a huge success in its time and cemented Haydn’s reputation not only as a brilliant orchestral writer, but as a master of choral music as well.

The piece, based on a 13th-century Latin hymn reflecting on the sorrow of Mary at the crucifixion, is known for its expressive depth and intricate vocal writing. “Of course, he only gets better from there. He goes on and writes Creation, which is his masterpiece.”

The concert will also showcase rising young talent, with Tauranga musician Esha Xu joining the ensemble.

A Year 8 student at Bethlehem College, Esha is already making waves in the classical music world. She won the Bay of Plenty Rising Stars Concerto Competition in 2025 and has performed as both a viola soloist and harpsichord accompanist.

Esha began piano at age five and studies violin, viola, harpsichord, and trumpet. She has performed as a viola soloist and harpsichord accompanist, plays in several youth ensembles, and is working towards her NZMEB Diploma (AMusNZ) in piano and harpsichord.

“Esha is just an anomaly musically. She’s really, really got it. Because she won the concerto competition, it launched her onto the concert stage as a formidable and expressive performer.”

Poppy said he invited her to be part of this programme.

Poppy noted that Whakatāne music lovers are in for a treat, with the Scholars Baroque performance following closely behind the Edgecumbe Choir’s upcoming Renaissance concerts.

“I know the concerts are close together, but they offer completely different experiences,” he said. “I’d really encourage people to come to both.”

He said taking high-quality music to regional communities remained a core part of the choir’s mission.

“Every time we go to somewhere like Matamata or Cambridge, people just come out in enormous numbers. So, it’s an important part of the mission of especially Scholars Baroque that we are regional, and we take our music elsewhere for other people to enjoy.”

Edgecumbe Choir – Haydn’s Stabat Mater

• Where: St George and St John Church, Domain Road
• When: 7.30pm, Saturday, May 16
• Tickets: $25-$40, via iticket.co.nz