All dressed for church. Photo: Supplied
Will there be dancing in the aisles? Maybe even the pews?
This month, Auckland's Holy Trinity Cathedral will host the Auckland Chamber Choir when it performs a Christian mass by the Argentine composer Martín Palmeri, which sets the Latin text to music inspired by the tango.
Jono Palmer will direct the choir, with soprano soloist Morag Atchison and Auckland's own tango ensemble, Aotango.
Aotango. Photo: Supplied
The concert is on Saturday 13 December, and marks International Tango Day (11 December).
Speaking to RNZ Concert ahead of the gig, Palmer says he's not planning on asking the choir to dance as they sing, but given there'll be free tango lessons before the concert included in the ticket price, he can't rule out the audience getting to their feet.
Not your usual venue for a tango session. Photo: Adrian Malloch
Palmer says he hadn't heard of Palmeri's Misatango until Aotango's founder, accordion player Grayson Masefield, introduced him to it.
Originating in the bordellos of Argentina and Uruguay, at one point the Catholic Church tried to ban the dance.
However, Palmer says Pope Francis (the first Argentine Pope) arranged to have Misatango performed during his reign.
Turns out he was a tango dancer as well as a Catholic priest.
