Farewell, Craig Pollock
4 Sept 2025
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Craig Pollock, a much-respected NZCF Life Member who passed away in mid-August, at the age of 79.
In his position of NZCF Development Consultant from 1989 to 2005, Craig made an enormous contribution to the development of many of the NZCF brands that we know today.
Craig was a keen singer and as a young man he sang opera, appearing alongside Dame Malvina Major, Grant Dixon and Rodney McCann in a 1970 production of The Barber of Seville. At the time, he was an NZBC announcer in Wellington and in 1971 he left NZ for further study in America and later in Bulgaria.
Craig first became involved with NZCF in 1989. He was well established as a marketing and development professional, and he gave of these skills generously and to great effect, developing the branding of NZCF programmes such as The Big Sing and Sing Aotearoa, and developing fundraising and sponsorship strategies to support these events.
At the 2005 AGM, National Executive Chair Norman Firth proposed that Craig be made a Life Member. He presented the citation below, which covers Craig’s significant contribution to NZCF’s many events.
Citation for Craig Pollock’s Life Membership
Actioned at the NZCF AGM – 9 April 2005
Craig Pollock first became involved with NZCF in 1989 when he was retained by the organisation to assist with fundraising for and marketing of 1990 activities, including the highly successful inauguaral Sing Aotearoa Festival.
This initial association led to sixteen years of service to NZCF as our Development Consultant, during which time he has worked with NZCF staff and governors to position group singing as the fastest growing and most accessible recreational art form in New Zealand.
In his professional capacity, Craig has managed some of New Zealand’s iconic brands, including Auckland City Art Gallery, Te Papa, the NZSO. He is currently General Manager of Marketing & Communications for Plunket, a kiwi icon which will have delivered service to over 90% of NZCF members. Craig was the founding Director of Forum North in Whangarei, Baycourt in Tauranga and the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna.
It is this breadth of experience that he has brought to bear on the business of NZCF. In particular, Craig encouraged the development of an NZCF family of event brands which has led to NZCF ownership of THE BIG SING, THE CLASSIC SING, KIDS SING and SING AOTEAROA.
During his tenure as Development Consultant, he has worked with NZCF personnel to raise over $1.4 million in support of group singing activity. He steps aside from this role to enable new energy and vision to be made available to NZCF in conjunction with new management. He assures us that he will remain supportive and available to NZCF.