Haydn's Seven Last Words Concert

The Seven Last Words

Sunday, March 22, 2026  •  7:30 pm
Cloverdale United Church

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Join us for a superb performance of Joseph Haydn’s Seven Last Words featuring professional soloists, accomplished choral singers, and a professional-level string ensemble.

The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross (Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze), Hob. XX/2, is a contemplative oratorio written by Joseph Haydn in 1796 for Good Friday, based on his earlier orchestra-only work of the same name.  Each of the seven movements reflects one of Christ’s statements spoken from the cross, unfolding through rich orchestral writing and featuring choral and solo vocal settings that bring the text to life. Regarded by Haydn as one of his finest works, the oratorio combines drama, reflection, and spiritual depth, a powerful and immersive experience.

This promises to be an outstanding evening both for classical music lovers and for anyone looking for a unique way to enrich their spiritual journey through the Christian religious season of Lent.  One of four performances being offered in Metro Vancouver in March 2026, this will be the only performance taking place in the South-of-the-Fraser (Delta-Surrey-Langley) portion of the region.

The work will be sung in English, with narration and a moving visual image show providing the text in real time.  The performance lasts just under one hour, and is offered without intermission.

Olivia Selig, Moriah Wax, Steve Froese, and Jack Foster, soloists
Members of Vancouver's Vivaldi Chamber Choir
Ensemble Harmonia
Edette Gagné, conductor
Tony Lee, producer

Net proceeds from ticket sales, after costs, will benefit the Surrey Women's Centre (http://www.surreywomenscentre.ca/).  A crisis centre located in Surrey, the Surrey Women's Centre works in collaboration with the medical and justice communities for the safety and care of survivors and children escaping violence, empowering survivors and changing the definition of 'victim', with the goal of seeing gender-based violence diminish and one day disappear from our cultural lexicon.  As the sufferings of Christ are remembered in this season, let us all work together to support and empower ones suffering from violence in our own midst.

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Featured Soloists:

Olivia Selig, soprano

Olivia Selig (she/her) is a graduate of the University of Victoria’s Bachelor of Music program (2014). Olivia studied voice with Dutch soprano Anne Grimm, developing a deep appreciation for musical storytelling across a variety of styles — from early music and opera to vocal jazz. Her performance experience includes singing as soprano soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria with the UVic Orchestra, Bob Chilcott’s Wenceslas with the Linden Singers, Resphigi’s Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore with Vivaldi Chamber Choir, as well as appearances at Opera on the Avalon (St. John’s NFLD) and Opera NUOVA (Edmonton AB). In addition to solo performing, Olivia has participated in some extraordinary choral music festivals, including the International Choral Festival in Barcelona (2017) and Harbour Voices Choral Festival in Newfoundland (2024).

Olivia also performs regularly as the soprano section lead in Vivaldi Chamber Choir under Edette Gagné and with Phoenix Chamber Choir under Nicholle Andrews.

Moriah Wax, mezzo-soprano

Moriah Wax is originally from Los Angeles, CA.  She holds an MMUS in Opera Performance from The University of British Columbia and a BMUS in Vocal Arts from The University of Southern California. She has performed for many years with groups such as Vancouver Opera, The USC Thornton Opera Ensemble, The UBC Opera Ensemble, The Lee Strasberg Theater in Hollywood, Musiktheater Bavaria, Operafestival di Roma, The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of UBC, The North Shore Light Opera Society, Heroic Opera, and The Westben Arts Festival Theatre.  She is pleased to be returning to perform this work again with the Vivaldi Chamber Choir and Ensemble Harmonia.

Steve Froese, tenor

Steve is a lifelong musician, starting with Suzuki violin at age 4, and spent his formative years singing southern gospel with his family and playing various instruments. Since then he has become a professional multi-instrumentalist and lyric tenor/counter-tenor. However, he is equally comfortable singing soprano, baritone, or bass given his over 4 octave vocal range. His musical journey ultimately took him to the theatre stages of Broadway (and off-Broadway) in New York City. Locally, Steve most recently worked with the North Shore Light Opera Society (NSLOS). Roles have included several years as Skimbleshanks in Cats on Broadway, and with NSLOS as Lea the fairy in Iolanthe, the Sargeant in Pirates of Penzance, and R&D Officer 1 in the modern remake of The Magic Flute. Chorally, Steve has sung with the Vancouver Youth Chorale, Vancouver Cantata Singers, Richmond Chorus, No Bach Aloud, Westcoast Mennonite Chamber Choir, Bella Voce, and Chor Leoni. Professionally, Steve spent several decades as the tenor section lead and soloist at St. Mary’s Kerrisdale Anglican Church, and sang with the St. Andrew’s Wesley Men’s Ensemble. 

Steve is an avid RV Traveller and retired Mechanical, Computer, and Aerospace Engineer.

Jack Foster, bass-baritone

Jack Foster is a multi-disciplinary creative based in so-called Vancouver, BC. In 2011 he moved west from Fredericton, NB to attend the UBC School of Music, earning his BMus in Voice Performance in 2016. Jack sees choral music as a means of creating community by bridging cultural divides, and relishes the opportunity to engage with unfamiliar traditions and styles. This open mindset has led him to singing with many groups over the years, working with conductors and clinicians including Dr Nicholle Andrews, Dr Hussein Janmohamed, and Melanie DeMore. In addition to his work in choral music, Jack is a published horror and sci-fi writer, and maintains a career as a drag queen entertainer.

Currently, Jack works as part of the artistic teams for Vivaldi Chamber Choir and the Shaughnessy Heights United Church Choir, and is a member of the award-winning Phoenix Chamber Choir.

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(Please note, some initial communications about this event erroneously listed a different start time.  The concert will start at 7:30 pm, with doors opening at 7:00 pm.)