Schola Sacra celebrates 50 years
29 Oct 2024
Our congratulations to Schola Sacra Choir in Whanganui, who are celebrating 50 years of singing together in 2024!
Read on for the story of Schola Sacra Choir, their highlights over the past five decades, and their plans for celebrating this wonderful milestone. Many thanks to the choir's committee for contributing this article.
The idea for Schola Sacra Choir came from Pru Bell, an enthusiastic singer at Trinity Methodist Church in Whanganui, back in 1974. Pru thought there was an opening for an independent choir who were willing to tackle some of the more challenging sacred music, much of which was unaccompanied. She mustered a small group of people together to sing under the direction of Trevor Gibbs, who had recently joined the staff at Whanganui Collegiate School. The name suggestion came from Sr Barbara, one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The choir has had seven conductors since then, including the longest serving, Vincent James, and the present conductor, Iain Tetley. Well-known Manawatū musician Roy Tankersley was the musical director for almost 15 years prior to Iain.
The choir has remained unauditioned since its formation, but most singers have some musical background. Numbers have varied over the years, and currently the choir is fortunate to have about 35 members, several of whom are teenagers.
Schola Sacra enjoys singing a cappella at concerts, and is also often accompanied on organ by notable musicians such as Jonathan Berkahn, Janet Gibbs, Alison Stewart, Roy Tankersley and Martin Setchell.
Over the years, Schola Sacra has collaborated with several other North Island choirs to perform concerts, including the Festival Singers, Ars Nova, Vox Serbicus and Taihape’s Arcadian Singers, who have sung Handel’s Messiah with Schola Sacra in both their hometowns. Other highlights over the years include outdoor concerts at Taupō and Bushy Park with the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, the recording of a CD of New Zealand carols at St Paul’s Church in Whanganui, and a performance of the then little known The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins, followed by later performances with orchestra in New Plymouth, and with Brass Whanganui on Anzac Day 2021, combining with the Lyric Singers and Whanganui Male Choir at the Royal Whanganui Opera House.
To celebrate their 50th year, the choir has sung an evensong at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, and performed Mendelssohn's Elijah in Whanganui. In September there was a concert featuring past conductors’ favourites, which included the Allegri Miserere, and a celebratory dinner will be held in November for past and present choir members and friends.
The year will conclude with a Christmas concert of a blend of favourite carols and some lesser-known music on Sunday 1 December.
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