The Seven Last Words of Christ

You are invited to an evening of classical music, led by Edette Gagné, featuring the Vivaldi Chamber Choir, Ensemble Harmonia, and talented soloists for a performance of The Seven Last Words of Christ by Joseph Haydn.

Originally composed in 1786, Hadyn’s work features nine movements, focused on one of the last seven sayings of Jesus spoken at the crucifixion. The words and music begin with a somber mood, growing towards an explosive conclusion in the final movement.

Tickets are on sale now for $20, with a $10 discount ticket option available.

Meet the 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.