Wanganui Male Choir to perform concert on December 6

The Wanganui Male Choir will perform its next concert on December 6. Photo / Supplied

After a year waiting for the Covid-19 pandemic to go away, the Wanganui Male Choir is ready to give its next concert The Covid Blues Are Gone on December 6.

For this concert, the choir is covering a mix of songs including selections from Les Miserables including I Dreamed A Dream and Do You Hear the People Sing. Songs from the shows include Ol' Man River, Some Enchanted Evening and With A Little Bit Of Luck. The concert will also include modern favourites such as The Longest Time, Sweet Caroline and You Raise Me Up.

The Wanganui Male Choir, currently with 20 choristers, has never been in recess during this time and over the preceding 122 years has performed at least twice a year, except for this very different year of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now the third oldest performing choir within New Zealand.

In keeping with its traditional support of younger performers, there will be two guest artists – Chantelle Piper and GuitarsAFire.

Chantelle will be performing with flute. She is member of the Fluola Trio, who recently won the National Bronze award in the NZ Chamber Music Competition. She is now preparing for her Grade 8 NZMEB exam. Chantelle is 2020 senior winner of the Sonja Wilson Memorial Awards.

Two years ago, GuitarsAFire wowed the audience with their performance at the 2018 concert and it wasn't hard inviting David Dale, Jack Fawthorpe and Joshua Korewha to join the choir again. They have all received Excellence credits for their NCEA performances this year. They are tutored by Whanganui's own guitar specialist, Fred Loveridge.

The concert will be under the guidance of music director Stephen Rowley, a musician with a strong commitment to choral art. Stephen has worked as an organist, conductor and teacher with a particular interest in church music.

The accompanist will be Shontae Arthur who has previously performed with the choir. Shontae has a remarkable talent, achieving the difficult ATCL in both piano and violin.

The concert is at 2.30pm on Sunday, December 6, at Central Baptist Church, Wicksteed St. Door sales: adults $20, students free.