Choir

An angel now adorns the 'new' Cathedral Office block on the corner Montreal and Gloucester Streets. One of three (two currently in storage) created by artist Caroline Trevella and her daughter Carly for Christmas 2010. The angels 'flew' in the Cathedral Nave airspace Christmas 2010. Gabriel now looks out on a city that has been leveled by over 10,000 earthquakes and aftershocks. He's a memory of our past and a sign of hope that the city and Cathedral at its centre will rise again. Our sign of God's presence and promised life.

The impact of the Christchurch earthquakes is the focus of two events this month at  Waiapu Cathedral in Napier. On Sunday, 19 February at 5pm, the Art Deco Weekend service is entitled “A Tale of Two Cathedrals”. This service normally focuses on an aspect of the 1931 Napier earthquake, but this year Waiapu Cathedral’s story will be told alongside the story of ChristChurch Cathedral. Dean Helen Jacobi says: “I don’t think there is another country in the world where two cathedrals have been destroyed in earthquakes. Napier and Christchurch share this story now and we want to support the people of Christchurch as they begin to plan their future, as the people of Napier had to do in 1931. The Royal NZ Navy Band will play at the service and give a short recital afterwards. One of the speakers at the service will be Lieut-Commander Simon Wells of HMNZS Canterbury. Commander Wells was in Napier last year for the 80^th  anniversary commemorations and then in Christchurch for the 22 February event. Stephen Jacobi was in Christchurch running a major conference with US government and business leaders at the time of the earthquake. He will speak about the experience, including the last major service held at ChristChurch Cathedral. Then, on Wednesday, 22 February at 7pm, a service at Waiapu Cathedral will mark the first anniversary of the Christchurch quake. This will be supported by the Napier inner-city churches, and Mayor Barbara Arnott will speak. The Cathedral Choir will sing at this service.

The Court Theatre and the Christchurch Cathedral Choir are teaming up for a lighthearted celebration of Christmas. Actors from The Court Theatre present Christmas readings and poetry. The Cathedral Choir sing carols and perform a selection of seasonal music. The men of the Choir perform some of their popular hits. An unforgettable evening featuring two of Christchurch’s great icons. All proceeds to the Cathedral Choir Fundraising Appeal. 21 Dec 7:30 - 9:30pm Christ’s College Hall. Adults $35 | Children $15 Families (2 adults, 2 children) $90 VIP ticket $100 (preferential seating, pre-show and interval refreshments) Book at The Court Theatre, (03) 9630 870 | www.courttheatre.org.nz.

Jono Stewart and James Reid may seem an unlikely pairing. One is an angelic-looking choir boy, the other a hard-core rocker. But blood ties and a common cause have thrown the two together for a unique fundraising concert in Christchurch. Jono, 10, is a member of the ChristChurch Cathedral Choir and on Saturday, November 5, performed with Kiwi rock band, The Feelers, whose lead singer, Reid, is Jono's uncle. The concert was the brainchild of Jono's mum Rebecca Stewart, who thought pairing her brother's band with her son's choir would be a great way to raise funds for the rebuild of the quake-ravaged ChristChurch Cathedral. Over 600 attended the concert and the event raised $12,000 in support of the cathedral Choir.

Sue and Don Rutter have been heavily involved in the Cathedral since their arrival from the UK in 1996, in pursuit of Don’s family. Don has been a devotee of choral music since his time as a chorister at Exeter Cathedral from 1942 to1948. On the 2008 choir tour, he was unsure whether the choir school had been mended after bombs hit it! He joined the Cathedral Singers, but it was not long before David Childs recruited him for the Choir, a position he retained
until he retired in 2006. After that, he helped in the choir library Sue, who is keen to point out that she was not even a twinkle when Don was singing at Exeter, helped with, and then ran, the Hospitality Team from 2005. She was responsible for the purchase of much crockery and cutlery, which is till in the basement of the Cathedral visitors centre. She is not enthusiastic to retrieve it! When Choir Librarian Marian Bruerton became ill in late 2007, Sue was taken on as apprentice, taking over full time in February 2008 after Marian’s death. Sue got the job just in time for the 2008 tour to the UK, which involved the organization of music, robes and the transport of both around much of southern England!
She, with Don’s help, has been running the choir library, and much of the general choir administration, ever since. Sue has combined this with being PA to Dame Malvina Major. Sue and Don are leaving Christchurch to live in the somewhat calmer city of Hamilton in the North Island – another move overseas! They will be greatly missed at the Cathedral, and we wish them well for their future.

The Cathedral Choir continues to sing Sunday services and two weekday evensongs in Christ’s College Chapel. At Pentecost we sang evensong at St Barnabas in their church hall. On Wednesday evenings we have made
ourselves available to sing across the City and diocese for the parishes that have suffered damage during the recent earthquakes. The first of these was for St Marks Opawa last Wednesday and we will be presenting similar events for Leeston and Aranui in the next few weeks. On Saturday 2 July have just made a trip to sing Evensong and a Recital at St John’s Church, Highfield, in Timaru. Until we can get back to The Choir’s core role of the regular round of opus dei, this is a very appropriate way to use our talents. Last week the choir participated in the City Choir’s presentation of Missa Gaia at the Lincoln Events Centre. Missa Gaia is a unique celebration of life and the planet and its optimistic message of hope and connectedness was inspirational at this time for our broken city. The Cathedral Choir’s participation was greatly appreciated by the packed house and also afforded the boys an opportunity to sing duets with the calls of wolves and whales - an experience not normally available in our regular services!

Perhaps not Eden, but a very special place. The Cathedral building is down for the present following the Feb 22nd earthquake. The Cathedral Choir is not. In addition to singing at regular services in its new home, Christ's College Chapel, the Choir is out and about in an easterly direction. Actually, it's all directions, with a special offer to those in the most earthquake affected eastern suburbs. The Choir is offering a sung service or recital to try and lift community spirit through the power of music and song. Parishes of Opawa, Ellesmere are confirmed as are trips to both Geraldine and Timaru. If you are interested to receive a visit, contact the Cathedral. Tel:366 0046.