Hastings Choral Society 40th anniversary

2 Jul 2026

The Hastings Choral Society has a written history that opens with the line "In the beginning...."

In July 1985 the Sacred Heart Church choir, augmented by St Columba’s Choir and other local singers, combined and held a very successful concert. Following this it was decided that the combined choir, with Kathleen (Kath) Barry conducting, should attempt Handel’s Messiah later in the year. Rehearsals started for this on 18 November with the organists being Adele Hamilton and Marie Stothart, and the soloists Elizabeth Gawler (contralto), Maureen Brady, Margaret Sloane and Eileen von Dadelszen (sopranos), Pat Gillespie (tenor) and Joe Christensen (bass). (Hastings Choral Society History, Stephanie Drew)

The two performances of Messiah were so successful that the idea to form as a permanent choir was discussed. Kath Barry evidently commented “There is a civic choir in Napier but there is no equivalent in Hastings. I suppose this is our attempt at having a Hastings Choir”.

A public meeting was held, and the Hastings Choral Society was formed.  The inaugural concert was in June 1986 (performing Vivaldi Gloria and excerpts from Haydn’s Creation) and the choir was formally incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act in March 1987.

There is a lovely story in the Hastings Choral History – "Prior to the fourth concert of the choir, Kathleen Barry was presented with a carved wooden baton that had once belonged to the Heretaunga Māori Choir. The gift of the baton was made by Ron Shakespeare (then Deputy Mayor of Hastings) who had been given it by the late Bessie Hutchon, the conductor of the choir in the 1930’s. Mr Shakespeare had stated that the time had come to pass the baton on to someone performing services to music in the Hawke’s Bay. The Heretaunga Māori Choir had been formed in 1930 and was very popular. They had performed concerts and broadcasts throughout New Zealand and in 1938 had toured Australia, but the choir had not survived after the Second World War.

Kath Barry continued as Director until she retired in November 2004. Kath was much admired and loved and was awarded a Hastings Civic Award in 1988 and a Queen’s Service medal in 2006, in recognition of her contribution to music.

Following Kath’s retirement, the next six concerts in 2005 and 2006 were led by four guest conductors - Margaret Steer, Stephen Rowley, Gary Bowler and Angela von Dadelszen. 

In April 2007, Joseph Christensen made his debut as Music Director (after having been a regular soloist over many years). Joseph remained the Director until December 2025. He received a Hastings Civic Award for his services to music in 2019 and an NZCF Distinguished Service Award in 2025. The choir was also directed occasionally by Gavin Maclean when it combined on several occasions with the Gisborne Choral Society for concerts in Hastings and Gisborne.

Traci Tuimaseve, who has been a member of the choir and a soloist, directed the choir in May 2026 in “Music for the Soul” and will direct the end of year concert in early December.

Hastings Choral is a non-auditioned community choir. They currently number about 50, and over the last 40 years they have given two or three performances a year. Eileen von Dadelszen (who was a soloist in those first two Messiah performances) was a foundation member and still sings in the choir today. Both she and her husband Mark are life members of the Society and have served on the committee in a number of capacities. Eileen lists some of her highlights from the choir as:

• The combined choir performance of 200 singers in Napier in 1993 of Verdi’s Requiem conducted by Edgar Holmes; (this experience led to many of our members joining the New Zealand contingent of the World Festival Choir in Australia, singing the work in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with Pavarotti as the tenor soloist.)
• Another highlight was in 1995 celebrating the tenth anniversary of NZCF in a combined choir by performing Haydn’s Creation under the direction of Professor Peter Godfrey.
• The Choir has also taken part in several of the International Voices for Hospices Concerts, and has regularly sung at Dawn Services on Anzac Day and at civic celebrations and commemorations including leading the citizens of Hastings in a service following the Christchurch Mosque attack in 2019, and supporting a charity concert following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.

Over the years the choir has had many excellent rehearsal and performance accompanists:  Marie Stothart (who like Kath Barry was awarded a Civic Award and a Queen’s Service medal in recognition of her services to music), Adele Hamilton, Marjorie Hamilton, Adrienne van Drimmelen, Anna Hansen and Sonya Hapi. In addition, they have performed with pianists and organists including Colleen Rae Gerrard, Yi -Shuan Chan, Janet Gibbs, Stanley Harris, John Wells, Colleen Edgecombe, Douglas Mews and Susan Melville, as well as the Hastings Sinfonietta and the Hastings Citizens’ Band.

Last month, past and present members joined to celebrate their 40-year history.

_{L-R: Long-serving Hastings Choral Society members Eileen and Mark von Dadelszen, Beverly Heard, Margaret Percy and Hastings Choral Society Patron, Sandra Hazlehurst.}

Hawke’s Bay Today reported - "Former Hastings mayor and society patron Sandra Hazlehurst paid tribute to the generations of singers, conductors, patrons and volunteers who have contributed to the society’s success. “One of the greatest pleasures of being patron has been sitting quietly in the audience and listening,” she said. “Every performance has brought joy to me and to the wider community.”

"Fellow patron Beverly Heard said the society had created friendships forged through music and 40 years of dedication to the society. “Music feeds the soul,” she said.

With thanks to Eileen von Dadelszen for her memories.

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