Flying visit by Auckland choir

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 10

Flying visit by Auckland choir

The Auckland University Festival Choir will make a flying visit to Christchurch on Sunday to give an afternoon re* cital in the Christchurch CathedraL

The choir will be in Wellington on Saturday to sing at the wedding of one of its members, and on the suggestion of the conductor, Peter Godfrey, the Christchurch Civic Music Council has arranged an extension of the trip to Christchurch. The choir will arrive on Sunday by chartered N.A.C. aircraft in mid-moming, and after lunch—which will be provided by members of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society for choir members who have no friends or relatives in Christchurch—the 40 members of the choir will assemble in the Cathedral for a brief rehearsal before the performance at 230 p.m. They will leave in their chartered aircraft to return to Auckland at 6.45 p.m. The choir will present a

programme of sacred and secular music, including works by New Zealand com-

posers, under Peter Godfrey, its regular conductor.

The proceeds will go to the Keith Newson Memorial Piano fund. Mr Newson, who died recently, was chairman of the music council. The choir was formed early last year to represent New Zealand at the international universities choral festival in New York in April of this year. This festival is held every three years, and is a noncompetitive meeting of choirs from 16 countries.

After the festival the choir spent some time in the United States, where, apart from its six festival appearances, it gave eight university concerts and took part in four church services. On the way home it gave six more recitals in London, Europe, and Singapore, and received high praise everywhere it called.

Peter Godfrey is an associate professor in the music department of Auckland University, organist of the Anglican Cathedral in Auckland, and conductor of the Auckland Dorian Singers. He was conductor of the Auckland String Players from

1959 and was responsible for its development into the Symphonia of Auckland, a part-time professional orchestra, which he conducted and directed until 1968.

He was bom in England, and was a chorister of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. He later returned there as a choral scholar, when he studied for his Mus.B. at Cambridge University. After war service he studied for a year at the Royal College of Music. He was awarded his F.R.C.O. in 1951. He was assistant director of music in three prominent boys’ schools, and for four years was director of music at Marlborough College before emigrating to New Zealand. He has directed courses in church music in the United States, England, Australia and New Zealand. For a period of several years after the war he represented England as a member of the fullbore rifle team. He is married, and has four daughters. His wife is a senior medical officer of the Health Department in Auckland. The choir’s symbol is illustrated at left.