The Kowhai Singers conductor’s final bow
The Kowhai Singers’ long serving conductor is stepping down after a successful 21 years.
Following May performances of Handel’s Messiah, musical director Peter Cammell will take his final bow with the Warkworth-based choir.
The Red Beach conductor and musician has led The Kowhai Singers through three concerts a year since taking over from founding conductor Basil Kirker.
Cammell puts his longevity in the position down to the choir members.
‘‘It’s a very loyal, great bunch of people - a very happy outfit. It’s one of the reasons I have stayed on,’’ he says.
After more than two decades of driving to Warkworth for weekly practices, Cammell looks forward to ‘‘not doing choir things for a while’’.
‘‘I don’t want to hang around so long that they start thinking it’s about time the silly old fogey got out of here,’’ he says.
Cammell’s musical experience stretches back to his childhood days singing at Sunday school.
He picked up the violin at Belmont Intermediate School, and enjoyed the choir and orchestra as a foundation pupil of Westlake Boys High.
After he left school, Cammell earned a BA in music, English and education, and soon graduated with distinction from teachers’ college and went on to gain a postgraduate diploma in music.
Teaching music was the next step, and Cammell worked at Glenfield College, Westlake Boys High and Orewa College, among others.
His departure from The Kowhai Singers will be felt by its singers.
‘‘Peter’s time at the helm with Kowhai Singers has seen an enormous increase in both range of repertoire and the ability to sing unaccompanied,’’ choir member Bev Hicks says.
The Kowhai Singers need a musical director to take over following Cammell’s departure.
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