Saturday Night's Alright

A choral celebration of Elton John
Performed by Supertonic Marsden Auditorium
Saturday 10 October, 2pm and 7.30pm  

We hope you don’t mind if we put down in words… Supertonic’s latest choral spectacular is coming this September, and it’s their most exciting yet!

After a few months away from the stage, the pitch is back with Saturday Night’s Alright - a spectacular presentation of music by prodigious singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer Elton John and equally accomplished lyricist Bernie Taupin.

Including a four-part canon that would make Pachelbel blush, this concert features the full force of 50 singers, a series of powerful rock soloists from within the choir and a full rock band of some of Wellington’s best musicians. The first half showcases some of the incredible songs from beloved 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, while the second half will be composed of a range of early 70’s Elton favourites, plus a few surprises. Highlights include a full symphonic choral setting of Someone Saved My Life Tonight a trio treatment of Daniel, and of course the choir’s signature beautiful harmonies.

Director Isaac Stone is a teacher of classroom music and leader of the choral programme at Tawa College in Wellington. Stone’s artistic agenda is to work with singers on choral music that is both accessible but challenging - creating concerts to captivate a new audience for choral music. This concert is extra special for Stone - Elton John’s music being what inspired him to become a musician. By sitting down at the piano and learning Elton’s music by ear, Stone remembers discovering chord progressions, the power of singing and being opened up to the worlds of choral, classical and orchestral music.

“I truly consider Elton John to be the Schubert of our time - Schubert being another one of my favourite composers. As a teacher, I’m inspired by Elton’s own championing of younger musicians and his openness to working with people from across the world, across generations and across genres. Elton is the perfect vehicle for bringing people into the amazing world of music education and the wider world of music, because at its core his music always offers piano riffs that stay with you, chord progressions that feel right, and a melody that speaks to the soul.”

Supertonic is a 50-strong SATB Wellington choir that takes pride in presenting a diverse range of music. Past concerts cover everything from traditional choral repertoires of early music through to modern works, strongly themed presentations such as music written solely in endangered and extinct languages, through to rock, pop and jazz extravaganzas celebrating the greatest music of the 20 th and 21 st centuries.

This choir aims to take choral music to new places and greater heights, and Saturday Night’s Alright will be no exception. Supertonic’s most recent rock concert, Thunderbolt and Lightning, sold out within a few days to a 400-strong audience of Queen fans. Don’t miss out on our latest offering!

Our gift is our song, and this one’s for you, Wellington.