Wellington, New Zealand

The Choir is associated with the Wellington Free Ambulance

Wellington Male Voice Choir (Incorporated)

• Profile

  The Wellington Male Voice Choir is a community choir, singing sacred and secular songs in traditional style (both accompanied and unaccompanied).   We share many attributes in common with male choirs in other countries (Wales in particular), but attempt to present our own interpretation of the music we sing.

  The choir has a strong tradition of fellowship, and strives for high quality singing.   The choir presents two public concerts each year, and sings by invitation at other venues and events.   Members are drawn from throughout the Greater Wellington Region and the Kapiti Coast.

• Concerts

  Enjoy the distinctive sound of men singing?     The Choir presents two main public subscription concerts each year.     For 2010 these are scheduled :
  - in June (2.30 p.m. on Sunday 20th June 2010, at St Andrew’s on The Terrace, Wellington), and
  - in November (2.30 p.m. on Sunday 7th November 2010, at St Andrew’s on The Terrace, Wellington).
  Once again these concerts will be in support of Wellington Free Ambulance.

  We also present other specialist concerts from time to time as requested.

• Tours

  In September 2003 we made our first overseas tour; with concerts at Orange NSW, Melbourne and at the “Sing Out” festival in Narrogin, Western Australia.   Our major tour for 2004 was to attend the triennial New Zealand Festival of Male Voice Choirs to be held in Hamilton, 10-12 September 2004: Viva voices.

  In 2006 we were hosted by the Nelson Male Choir and performed concerts at Nelson and Takaka, 20–22 October 2006.

  During 2008 our tour focus was again to Nelson for the Festival of Male Choirs during Labour weekend, 25–27 October 2008, hosted by the Nelson Male Choir with the Sydney Male Choir also participating.

  Another tour to Australia is scheduled for 11 - 21 November 2010, taking in Sydney, Orange and Brisbane.

• Music CD

  The Choir has recorded two CDs; in 2001 and in 2005.   Further details of these CDs and an order form may be found here.

• Subscription Membership

  The Choir offers the public a subscription membership which entitles those members two tickets to each of the two public concerts held by the choir annually.   A subscription members’ newsletter also provides information to these Members on choir activities and features of interest, such as visiting choirs.

  Subscription Membership costs $35 annually - providing 4 tickets (2 for each subscription concert which would normally cost $80 total).   Interested?   Please click here for more information.

• Singing Membership

  The Choir currently has more than 40 singing members and welcomes newcomers. Choir practices are held on Thursdays in the Wellington suburb of Tawa, and visitors are welcome.   Any men in the greater Wellington area who enjoy singing and wish to join us, should contact the Choir Music Director (please see contact details below).

  While choir membership is not auditioned, members are expected to commit themselves to:

  • regular and on time attendance at practices.
  • an annual membership fee,
  • the purchase of items of choir uniform,
  • the care of their music.

• History

  The Wellington Male Voice Choir is a medium sized amateur choir (30-40 voices) that sings songs and hymns of many types in traditional male voice choir style (both accompanied and “a cappella”).   The choir has been in continuous existence since 1961, providing initially a service to retirement homes and similar charitable groups.   In recent years the choir has sought a more public image, and presents public concerts, in addition to retaining as much as possible of the former service performances.

  The choir had an unusual origin in that it was founded by a women’s group called the Khandallah League of Mothers (Khandallah is a suburb of Wellington City).   The League had a Women’s choir for many years and in the years prior to 1961 persuaded their husbands to sing occasionally as a men’s choir.   The men formed a choir on a permanent basis in 1961 (then called the Onslow Male Voice Choir) which has lasted long after the woman’s choir (and the League of Mothers) disappeared.   It is choir folklore that the choir was initially named “The Khandallah League of Mothers Male Voice Choir”!

  The 50th anniversary of the choir will be celebrated in 2011 which will include the publication of a history of the choir.

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• Photos

Choir at Wellington Free Ambulance October 2008 with Yulia, our guest artist for the November 2008 concert.

Choir at Takaka 22 October 2006 where we performed with the Nelson Male Choir.

Choir Photograph taken 30 March 2003     [photographer Simon Hoyle, Days Bay, Wellington]