Sing Waiheke’s concert next Saturday in the Morra Hall is somewhat of a departure from the choir's standard repertoire, says director Iain Tetley.

“The choir has performed three Requiems amongst other serious music over the years, and I sensed last year that they wanted to do something a little less serious for a change. So we are performing two spoof oratorios – one entitled The Seasonings, using plays on words with names of herbs and spices in the lyrics such as tarragon of virtue, bide thy hyme, open sesame seeds and summer is a cumin seed – all in the pursuit of making a curry.“

And Horrortorio, a very dramatic and amusing account of the wedding of Dracula's daughter to Frankenstein, with assorted ghoulish guests. There is a quartet of soloists, a Waiheke string quartet, trumpet, timpani and piano accompaniment, and soloists are offering separate solo or duet items as well.” 

The two works have been penned by witticists P D Q Bach (alias Professor Peter Schickele) and Joseph Horovitz.

Choir and soloists will be suitably dressed for the occasion, says Iain, and both works include a variety of visual gags,

The soloist quartet is made up of Sheena Ablett singing soprano, regular Sing Waiheke concert alto Margo Knightbridge, tenor Richard Phillips who has sung many solo roles in Bach Musica concerts in Auckland, and bass Richard Green who gives the part of Dracula a very profound hilarity.

Horrortorio was written for a concert to be staged by the very popular musical cartoonist Gerard Hoffnung and was first performed in 1961 in a memorial concert to him following his untimely death at the age of 34.

The14 July performance begins at 6pm and includes supper afterwards. Tickets are $15 and $12 for seniors and available from choir members and Cut’n Curl salon in Oneroa. The doors open at 5.30pm.