On Sunday 14 July we are hosting the Wellington Male Voice Choir, in which long-time KP member Colin Payne is a participant. This concert is at 2pm, so come along and spend a winter’s afternoon listening to some musical favourites, ranging from show tunes to easy listening. Tickets for this concert are $15, and are on sale at Coastlands.

The Wellington Male Voice Choir is a community choir, singing sacred and secular songs in traditional style (both accompanied and unaccompanied). They share any attributes in common with male voice choirs in other countries (Wales in particular), but attempt to present their own interpretations of the music they sing. 

More about the Wellington Male Voice Choir

The choir has a strong tradition of fellowship, and strives for high quality singing. The choir presents two public concerts each year (at Saint Andrews Church on The Terrace in Wellington) and sings by invitation at many venues and events. Members are drawn from throughout the Greater Wellington Region, the Kapiti Coast the Wairarapa and Manawatu. The choir was formed in 1961 as the Onslow Male Voice Choir and became the Wellington Male Voice Choir in 1992. They practice in Tawa on Thursday evenings from February to December and aim to provide entertainment for others, to enjoy the pleasures and fellowship of male voice singing and to continually improve their standard as a choir. They sing at retirement villages, churches, theatres and functions in the greater Wellington area, including the Hutt Valley and Kapiti Coast. They have also participated at five New Zealand Festivals of Male Voice Choirs held around New Zealand. During the weekend of 26th November 2011, they hosted members of the Orange Male Voice Choir from NSW and the Nelson Male Voice Choir for two concerts to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. During the Rugby World Cup in 2011 the choir performed at the Fan Zones in Wellington providing entertainment before the matches.
The choir decided some years ago to support worthy local charities. They perform two major concerts each year and for the last eight years have donated the proceeds of both concerts to Wellington Free Ambulance.

Tours

In September 2003 the choir made its first overseas tour, with concerts at Orange NSW, Melbourne and at the “Sing Out” festival in Narrogin, Western Australia.
The major tour for September 2004 was to attend the triennial New Zealand Festival of male Voice Choirs held in Hamilton.
In October 2006 the choir was hosted by the Nelson Male Voice Choir and performed concerts in Nelson and Takaka.
During Labour Week-end 2008 the tour focus was again to Nelson for the Festival of Male Choirs with the Sydney male Voice Choir also participating.
In November 2010 the choir travelled to Sydney to take part with ten Australian Male Voice Choirs, in a festival in Sydney Town Hall. The choir then travelled for additional joint concerts in Orange, Inverell and Buderim.

Biographies

Tom Humphries (Music Director)

Tom grew up in Ireland to the sound of music, as his parents were noted singers. He learned organ for a number of years, and at the age of seventeen he became organist and choirmaster of a church in his native Belfast. Later he served in an additional church before immigrating to New Zealand in 1973. He was a church organist and choirmaster in Christchurch, Napier and Stokes Valley before moving to Tawa in Wellington, playing organ in two Tawa Churches. Tom joined the Wellington Male Voice Choir as a singer in 1981. He became the Music Director three months later, a role he has fulfilled continuously for the past 32 years. He is a skilled arranger of music for male voices, and many pieces in their concerts are the result of his work. His dedication and enthusiasm is a great inspiration to the members and he continues to encourage the choir to raise its standards, while always ensuring their practice evenings are time to enjoy.

Neil Lindsay (Accompanist)

Neil worked for New Zealand Public Radio for 35 years as a programme producer. During that time he was a church musician and as a pianist specialising in vocal accompaniment and chamber music, he has played in amateur and professional groups for over 56 years. Neil joined the choir as a second tenor in 1994, later transferring to the first bass section. In 2002 he took over as choir accompanist. His versatility in playing an eclectic range of musical styles is greatly admired and appreciated. He shows a great commitment to the choir and it is seldom that he misses a practice or performance.