Supertonic choir to partner with local creatives for a night of poetry and music

Entering its 12th year as one of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington’s most innovative choirs, Supertonic is proud to present its first concert of 2026. 

In a special collaboration between musical co-director Virginie Pacheco and poet Hinemoana Baker, Supertonic will perform Southerly Love: Poetry and Music for Stormy Weather in the stunning surrounds of Wellington Cathedral of St Paul on Saturday 23 May. This one-night concert will also feature a reprisal of Briar Prastiti’s Te Matapi’i from the recent reopening of Wellington’s central library.

Wellingtonians have a love-hate relationship with the city's wild weather and te hau tonga o Tāwhirimātea. But many things can blow metaphorically through our lives like an icy wind. Some of these things bring pain, some bring wonder. In conversation with original text by Baker, Pacheco's musical programme explores themes of comfort and solace, dark and light, and what remains when so much changes. Southerly Love opens with Ily Matthew Maniano's prize-winning Amihan – a Filipino word referring to the northeast monsoon. The programme also includes the ethereal Stars by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds, the rhythmic Nouse Lauluni by Soila Sariola, sung in Finnish, and the thrilling Daemon Irrepit Callidus by György Orbá.

In the concert’s first half, Supertonic will present a very exciting opportunity to hear Te Matapi’i by Briar Prastiti. This work has only been performed once since it was commissioned by the Wellington City Council to celebrate the reopening of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library. Thousands of Wellingtonians queued on the morning of 14 March to get their first glimpse of their beloved central library since 2019, and only the first few hundred entrants got the chance to hear Te Matapi’i. Supertonic was proud to contribute as one of the eight local choirs, and we are thrilled to be able to perform this piece once again. Along with Alistair Fraser on taonga pūoro, Prastiti will reprise her solo vocals.

Set in the luscious acoustics of Wellington Cathedral, Southerly Love offers a connection with multiple performers and creatives of Aotearoa alongside the glorious sound of a 50-voice choir. Join us for a unique, cozy and heartwarming evening that could only happen in our wonderful, windy city.

Supertonic is a Wellington-based choir that strives to push the boundaries of what choral music can be. The choir was formed in 2014 and since then has performed concerts that cover the entire musical spectrum, from Vaughan Williams' Mass in G Minor, Vivaldi's Gloria and Faure's Requiem to pop and rock spectaculars celebrating Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Elton John and Queen. The choir has performed alongside a diverse range of musicians including Bret McKenzie, the NZSO and The Muppets in the 2018 Jim Henson Retrospectacle and Mama Kin Spender at the local Coastella music festival. The choir has performed in national Anzac and Armistice day broadcasts, and in 2023 flew to the Armageddon Expo in Auckland to perform High Score: Legendary soundtracks in concert. Most recently, Supertonic joined seven other choirs at the reopening of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library to perform Te Matapi’i.

Southerly Love: Poetry and music for stormy weather
23 May 2026 - 7:30pm
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Tickets $40/$30
Tickets available from www.supertonic.org.nz from Monday 13 April 2026