About

The New Zealand Male Choir is a group of approximately 50 male singers from various locations throughout NZ. Members are selected through auditions and have a shared passion for singing. The choir provides a sense of camaraderie among its members, and the partners of the choristers play an active role in supporting the choir’s activities and keeping the members in line.

The choir has a diverse repertoire that includes formal choral works, popular songs, show tunes, folk music, New Zealand Waiata (traditional Māori songs), sacred music, operatic pieces, and gospel songs. The aim of the choir is to deliver entertaining and professional performances that cater to different audiences and concert types. This allows the choir members to continually challenge and improve their skills and talents.

The choir holds monthly rehearsals in two separate sections, one in the North Island and the other in the South Island. These practices focus on personal and collective vocal improvement, as well as preparing the repertoire. At least twice a year, the full choir comes together to rehearse and perform.

One of the choir’s goals is to foster and maintain enthusiasm for male singing, demonstrating that it can be a rewarding, enjoyable, and creative activity. They aim to showcase the beauty of singing and NZ choral music by organizing several regional concerts each year. Additionally, the choir embarks on international tours, typically touring the northern hemisphere every five years and touring Asia/Australasia every two to three years. These tours serve to promote the choir, elevate its performance standards, increase its profile, attract new members, and provide memorable experiences for the members and their partners.

The musical quality and performance of the choir are managed by a professional music team, which conducts rehearsals, provide voice technique coaching and oversees performances.

An executive committee manages the choir, supporting its activities and guiding its development. The committee is representative of members from both the North and South islands and is elected on an annual or bi-annual basis.

If you’re interested in becoming a singing member of the choir, you can visit the “Join” page on their website for more information

Download the Choir brochure for further information:  NZMC Information Brochure 

Patron

Patrick Power ONZM

New Zealand tenor, Patrick Power has had a distinguished international career, performing more than 60 major operatic roles and thrilling audiences all over the world.  He has been decorated by the Queen for his services to opera.

He has shared  a stage with Kiri Te Kanawa, recorded with Jessye Norman, and performed at Covent Garden and at La Scala under the direction of world class conductors.

Originally, from Hawkes Bay Patrick was educated at the Universities of Otago and Auckland where he began his lifelong career in music.

Europe beckoned and he spent three years as principal operatic tenor for the Norwegian Opera in Oslo and three years in similar positions in Krefeld and Munich.

In London, he became a regular on such stages as the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the Royal Opera House Convent Garden.

Following his success, he was invited to the New York Festival to sing Britten’s Serenade. Operatic roles in the New York Festival and with San Francisco Opera, followed.

In April 2009, he became the full time Lecturer in Vocal Studies at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide.

Since returning to Hawkes Bay in 2016 he has taught at several leading secondary colleges and gives advanced training to young singers.

Music Team

Musical Director – Joseph Christensen

Joe brings a background in Operatic and Choral music. Being a fine bass singer himself Joe has sung with the Voices of New Zealand Chamber Choir and as a soloist throughout New Zealand and Australia.

After graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium with a Dip Mus (voice) and a Post Graduate in Opera Performance he returned to Hastings to teach at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) Opera course for two years. He then spent time as a freelance performer working as soloist with most of the opera companies and choral societies throughout the North Island.

Joe attended EIT to study for a Teaching Diploma (secondary) gaining the Head of Music position at Karamu High School which he held for 12 years progressing to Head of Performing Arts Faculty for 3 years while still being HOD Music.

Joe is leading a number of Choirs and is heavily involved in the music and choral scene in the Hawkes Bay. He is active within the New Zealand Choral Federation, is Trinity College of London rep for the region and a singing teacher in his spare time.

Pianists

 Alison C. Holden

Alison, our south island pianist, is based in Christchurch and works professionally as a concert pianist, accompanist and teacher. She received her Masters degree and the Certificate of Post Graduate Studies in solo piano performance from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in the United Kingdom; a First Class Honours degree and Diploma in Arts from Victoria University; a Bachelor of Music degree majoring in Musicology from Canterbury University, and also the F.T.C.L. diploma in solo piano performance.

Alison has performed in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, and throughout New Zealand. She has performed with various orchestras, has recorded for Concert FM, given solo recitals throughout NZ, as well as appearing as accompanist with many different instrumental soloists and singers.

Over the last few years, Alison has worked with the NZ Opera company, and also the formerly known Southern Opera company, as a repetiteur and accompanist for opera rehearsals and in concert. She has also been an accompanist with the National Youth Choir, University of Canterbury, Burnside High School, St. Andrews College and other schools around Christchurch.

Fiona McCabe

Fiona has an established reputation as an accompanist, repetiteur, musical director, vocal and choral musician. She brings a wealth of experience to her music-making across many genres, performing early music to music theatre and everything in between.

Fiona studied piano performance at the Wellington Polytechnic, Dip. Mus. and at Victoria University, B. Mus (perf). In 1993 she completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Accompaniment at the Sydney Conservatorium and in 1996-1997 was a trainee repetiteur with Opera Australia, where she continued to work until 2014. She also studied and worked as a repetiteur at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London in 1999-2000. Fiona performs regularly with the NZSO, New Zealand Opera and in many concerts and recitals throughout New Zealand.

Fiona has a passion for the voice, obtaining an A.mus.A (AMEB) in singing and is a current member of Voices NZ. In the world of Professional Music Theatre, Fiona has been involved with many productions in Sydney and Wellington where she has played keyboards, sung backing vocals, and danced in a stage band.

She has been the Musical Director and Vocal Coach on several collaborations including assistant musical director of the Orpheus Choir, Wellington. Some recent highlights include MD for Capital E’s production of “Mr McGee and the Biting Flea”, Vocal Coach for the Māori Sidesteps and MD for Capital E’s “Waiata O Te Moana; Songs of the Sea”.

If that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Fiona has a master’s in counselling and applied psychotherapy, which she completed in Sydney in 2014. She also writes and performs original songs and has acted in Music Theatre and film.

Current Choir Members

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Te Roopu Waiata Tira Tāne O Aotearoa