Love to sing? The RSCM and Wellington Cathedral of St Paul is offering a two-day holiday programme just for you!

Make new friends, learn new music, and improve your singing skills with one of New Zealand’s foremost choral directors.

The 2024 RSCM Two-Day Choir School offers two days of singing and fun, culminating in a service featuring the premiere performance of a brand new piece of music specially composed by the Cathedral’s Director of Music Michael Stewart.

Details:

AGE RANGE: 8-18 years

WHERE: The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, 2 Hill Street, Wellington.

COST: $140 for both days including lunch and snacks*

Schedule

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Drop Off: 09:00am
Pick Up: Between 04:30pm - 05:30pm

Thursday, October 10, 2024
Drop Off: 09:00am
Choral Evensong: 05.30pm
Pick Up: 06.00pm

SUPPORT

Billeting can be arranged with Cathedral Chorister families for singers coming in from out of Wellington.

We don’t want costs to be a barrier to anyone who would be interested in joining us. Please email dom@wellingtoncathedral.org.nz to discuss what scholarships may be available.

Testimonials

  • “Winter choir school was definitely one of the most formative musical experiences of my life - it was my first experience of knowing a ‘tribe’ - knowing there were other people like me who were obsessed with singing and loved the Anglican choral tradition. I have the best memories of it!”

    Anna Leese,Lyric Soprano

    Lexus Song Quest winner, 2002

  • 'Through choristers I learnt a huge amount as a musician - it gave me a really strong foundation in both theory and performance. However, the skills you pick up are much wider than that. You learn to collaborate with others, to take responsibility for yourself, to gain confidence in speaking and singing in public and to lead others in worship. I would absolutely recommend being a chorister.'

    Joshua Kerr, former Head Chorister

  • Choristers is a great and fun introduction to choral music. I learnt so much about singing technique, musicianship, liturgy and developed a strong love for choral singing.

    Alice Carter, former Head Chorister

About Our Music Department

Michael Stewart. Director of Music

Michael Stewart is at the forefront of choral conductors in New Zealand, as well as being one of the country’s leading concert organists. In June 2011 he was appointed Organist and Director of Music at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, after previously serving for five years as Director of Music of The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Michael is also the Music Director of The Tudor Consort, and Deputy Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir.

Michael was awarded a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury and also held the inaugural John Robert Godley Organ Scholarship at Christchurch Cathedral. He was the recipient of a Dame Malvina Major Arts Excellence Award in 2002, which enabled him to pursue further study at McGill University (Montréal, Canada). He was awarded a McGill Organ Scholarship and graduated with a Master of Music degree majoring in organ performance in 2004. During his time in Montréal, Michael held the position of Assistant Organist to The Church of St Andrew and St Paul, a flourishing downtown Presbyterian church which boasts the finest music programme in the country. He has recorded for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio New Zealand Concert, and in 2020 recorded with the Choir of Wellington Cathedral for BBC Radio 3 - the first time a New Zealand choir has been featured on the Choral Evensong programme.

Max Toth, Richard Prothero Organ Scholar

New Zealand organist Max Toth is currently studying with Douglas Mews at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of music, Victoria University of Wellington. Max has had the opportunity to perform in concerts around New Zealand and Europe with particular highlights of performing in the Auckland and Dunedin Town Halls, and playing continuo and organ with the WCO, APO and NZSO. From 2021 to 2024, Max has been awarded the Ian Pollard Organ Scholarship by the New Zealand School of Music and the Richard Prothero Organ Scholarship by Wellington Cathedral of St Paul.

The RSCM is an educational charity, whose mission is to ‘promote the study, practice and improvement of music in Christian worship’. RSCM New Zealand is a collective of five Branches of RSCM furthering that work in New Zealand.