No Spare Time For Chorale

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 12

No Spare Time For Chorale

The Christchurch Harmonic Chorale, which is to give a recital in the Christchurch Cathedral tomorrow night with the organist, Ellen Hart, has been one of the busiest musical organisations in town this year.

In less than six months this group of about 28 singers has taken part in a number of community activities.

One Sunday in May the chorale sang at the convention service of Lions International in the Christchurch Cathedral: and more recently it sang in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament when the Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) launched an appeal for.funds to conserve the cathedral. During the first term the Chorale gave one of the regular lunch-time recitals in the

University Hall. Earlier, it had made a recording in the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church of Stainer's “Crucifixion" for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, with Winstone Sharp, Anson Austin and Rodney Macann as soloists and the organist, George Martin, as accompanist.

The chorale has also filmed two programmes for television—“ Great Hymns of the Church,” and, screened last Sunday, “Great Hymns of the Church Year.” The filming of the latter began on the beach at Sumner at 8 a.m. and was continued in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and completed in the studio. All this work was done under the baton of the society’s musical director, William Hawkey. Tomorrow night’s programme is varied, featuring music by Bach, Verdi, Scarlatti, Dupre, and other composers.