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Introduction In its 25 years as Kapiti Coast's largest choir, the Kapiti Chorale has performed over 80 concerts. From its first Ascot Gavotte under conductor and founder Lois McNeill, to the drama
of Mendelssohn's Elijah and the emotional Armed Man by Karl Jenkins, the Chorale has widened its repertoire and delighted audiences.
The choir has had four music directors over its 25 years: Lois McNeill, Professor Peter Godfrey, (now the choir's patron), Stuart Douglas and currently Marie Brown.
The Kapiti Chorale
25 years of making music
Twenty nervous singers gathered in the Catholic Church hall in Waikanae on a humid October night in 1983. Conductor Lois McNeill, Piano Accompanist Mrs Myra Wootton, and her Waikanae Chorale were
about to charm an appreciative audience with songs from Elgar and Bernstein.
Lois's dedication founded a choir that was to go on to delight audiences on the Kapiti Coast for 25 years.
In the 1950s and 60s there was a Kapiti Choral Society and in 1988 there were three choirs on the Coast; the Waikanae Chorale, the Harmony Chorale directed by Elizabeth Giles and the Ecumenical
Choir directed by John Benson. Only the Waikanae Chorale has survived, now as the Kapiti Chorale. It became, in 1991, the Kapiti Coast Chorale, and later the Kapiti Chorale; the largest choir on the
Kapiti Coast with 80 voices. Many members have been with the choir for 20 years or more.
Lois was succeeded in her position as Music Director of the Chorale by Professor Peter Godfrey in 1994. Peter, a world-acknowledged choral director, retired to the Kapiti Coast after a lifetime of
choral work. His 'retirement' lasted a very short time as he promptly set up the Kapiti Chamber Choir and soon after accepted the Music Directorship of the Kapiti Chorale. He continues to be involved
in choral activities.
Lois and Peter initiated the bi-annual tradition of Community Choirs and brought to many Kapiti residents the joy of actually singing in major choral works they had always enjoyed listening
to.
While the core of the Community Choir was the Kapiti Chorale and Kapiti Chamber Choir, all-comers were invited: "If you have ever wanted to sing Handel's Messiah come along and join us",
said the posters. And they did, with varying degrees of musical ability, but always with huge dedication and enthusiasm.
In 2004 Stuart Douglas became the Chorale's third Music Director. He continued until the following year, having prepared the choir for three concert sessions; Hiawatha's Wedding Feast,
Sounds Glorious and Choral Contrasts. As well as choral conducting, Stuart has also conducted the Wellington Chamber Orchestra, the Wellington Schools Symphonic Band and the Hutt Valley
Concert Orchestra. His choral works range from the serious to the whimsical, many of them composed at the request of choir directors.
He was succeeded in 2005 by our present director, part-time Kapiti Coast resident, Marie Brown. She has introduced the choir to exciting new contemporary works such as Karl Jenkins' moving The
Armed Man, Requiem by John Rutter and the NZ première of Bob Chilcott's The Face of Peace.
Marie is also a pianist and has for many years played at St Brigid's in Wadestown and for the Saturday night music group at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Her Master of Philosophy degree is in
Violoncello performance and her name can be found as 'cellist' on past programmes of Kapiti Chorale performances with orchestra.
Throughout the years two people have remained as stalwart supporters of the Chorale. Organist Peter Averi has played in most of the choir's concerts and in 2000 he was guest-conductor of the
Spring Celebration concert which included a semi-staged performance of Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial by Jury.
Musician Ellen Barrett has supported the choir, not only as a rehearsal pianist for many years, but also as a singer in one of the first concerts with Lois and has been a soloist on many occasions
with the Chorale.
The choir has sung in cathedrals, village halls, a pub, the Wellington Botanic and other lovely gardens, Southwards Dell for TV1's Praise Be, churches, school auditoriums, shopping malls and at
funerals and weddings. It has given pleasure to audiences for over 80 concerts.
Among our many highlights, we are proud to include a letter from Her Majesty the Queen thanking us for our good wishes on her Jubilee.
'The Queen wishes to thank you very much for the message of good wishes on the occasion of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee. She was touched to learn that the choir presented a concert of British
Coronation music to celebrate the fiftieth year of her reign. Her Majesty was pleased to see the programme that you enclosed with your letter.'
Kapiti Chorale Award in Vocal Performance
To encourage talent in young performers and future soloists, the Kapiti Chorale has inaugurated an annual award in vocal performance for one of the students at The New Zealand School of Music. Julie
Coulson, Chair, Scholarships Committee response was; 'The support of the musical community means a lot to us - quite literally you are our foundation, future and fellow companions.'
See details of our latest award recipient.
The Kapiti Chorale looks forward to being an important part of the Kapiti Coast's musical life for many years to come.
A word from our Patron
The Kapiti Chorale has been a major part of the development of choral music on the Kapiti Coast. When I came to live here in 1982 I was very much involved with music in Wellington and just treated
the Kapiti Coast as my home. However, towards the end of 1983 Lois McNeill, a local musician, had established the Waikanae Chorale, and I had been to several of their concerts.
In the meantime I had finished conducting in Wellington and gone to Melbourne University to establish the Choral Foundation at Trinity College. During that time I had also conducted workshops and
concerts for the Choral Federation in Wellington which were attended by many Kapiti singers.
In 1992 I settled back in Waikanae and met Paddy Nash who had been administrator for the National Youth Choir. She told me I should not give up conducting, and so was the inspiration behind the
Kapiti Chamber Choir.
The two choirs, despite an initial element of competition, joined together from time to time to perform major works.
When Lois decided to move from this area in 1994 she invited me to become the conductor of 'her' choir. So there I was with two similar choirs which I felt might not work. The success of the
Community Choir inspired me to found an all-comers, un-auditioned choir. Numbers in the Chorale soon began to grow and there were times when we reached one hundred members.
Although I have been involved for many years with auditioned choirs, I have always liked the idea of encouraging all enthusiasts to sing. The result has been the establishment of a choir which
anyone can join and enjoy, and in which they can be encouraged to reach professional standards.
I always returned home on Monday nights, after rehearsal, uplifted. This has been an important choir in my life. As I have got older I found that, at times, I lost my place in the music - only for
a second or two! So I resigned from my position as Music Director of the Kapiti Chorale.
I continue to be involved with the choir as its Patron and was delighted to be invited back to conduct part of its 25th Anniversary concert. I am treated with joyous tolerance!
Thank you, Kapiti Chorale, very much!
Peter Godfrey
Patron Kapiti Chorale
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