Sydney Male Choir raising the rafters
Members of the Sydney Male Choir have a singing problem – it’s a habit they can’t kick.
So, 32 members of this Welshstyle choir from New South Wales have loaded up their vocal chords, and accompanied by wives and partners as well as friends of the choir, are on an 18-day tour of New Zealand.
Having performed in the north and far north, the choir turns up in Palmerston North’s Regent on Broadway on Monday evening.
Wolf von Kehler had been a choir member for 25 years. ‘‘Yes, our problem is not so much drinking, but singing,’’ he said.
The best way of dealing with such an affliction is, apparently, to share it. Founded in 1913 in the suburb of Petersham, the Sydney Male Choir has plenty of heritage to share.
‘‘From humble beginnings, we have become one of the most respected male voice choirs in Australia and look to take our music away as often as we can.’’
That includes performances around the suburbs of Sydney, to regional NSW centres, as well as on periodic interstate and international tours.
The choir last toured New Zealand in 2008 and performed with Manawatu barbershop groups the Manawatunes and the Manawatu Overtones in what is now the Abbey Musical Theatre’s Auditorium on Centennial Dr.
The choir is led by its new musical director, Keiren Brandtsawdy, who took over the reins in late November last year, and performs with long-serving piano accompanist Dewi Liu.
The repertoire includes a Queen tribute, Beatles songs, Leonard Cohen’s Halleluljah, traditional Australian songs, and an aria from Miss Saigon, with Monday’s Regent on Broadway concert at 7.30pm.