Fifty years of song
They’d been ferrying their wives, members of the Khandallah League of Mothers Choir, to and from weekly practices and sitting around while the rehearsals took place. Then someone had a bright idea about how to fill their waiting hours and the Onslow Male Voice Choir was formed.
The League of Mothers Choir may be no more, but the male choir still lives on in the form of the Wellington Male Voice Choir. The choir celebrates its golden jubilee this week with a concert at the Wesley Centre on Taranaki Street. The 44 member Wellington choir will be joined by male choirs from Orange in New South Wales and Nelson with over 100 voices singing a mix of traditional, stage show, folk and popular modern songs.
Tom Humphries has directed the Wellington Male Voice Choir since 1981. Humphries had a background in church music in Ireland and immigrated to New Zealand in 1972, first to Christchurch and Napier, then to Wellington. He says the choir has always been strong through his 30 year involvement with the group, although in recent years it’s become more difficult to attract younger members.
“Our eldest member is 85, but half are retired,” Humphries says. “We tend to pick up members in their early 50s. They must enjoy it though because they stay.”
Humphries says while the men enjoy singing, the fellowship provided by being a member of the choir was just as important to many.
“There’s a great social aspect to the choir and that can be more important than the singing. We’re certainly not professionals. We’re not an audition choir and you don’t have to be able to read music to join.”
Humphries says the choir has performed with singers such as Dame Malvina Major and Yulia, given shows around New Zealand and toured Australia in 2003 and 2010. Last month choir members hosted and sang with the North American Welsh Choir in The Opera House.
Wellington Male Voice Choir, Golden Jubilee Concert, Wesley Centre, Taranaki Street, 7.30pm, November 26.










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