About the ChristChurch Cathedral Choir

The ChristChurch Cathedral Choir

This choir is the only professional choir of boys and men in New Zealand and one of only two in the southern hemisphere. It is the oldest professional musical entity in New Zealand, being older than the cathedral itself ­ it was founded six months before the opening of the cathedral in 1881.

Choristers: The 16 boys in the choir range in age from 8 to 13 and are all pupils of The Cathedral Grammar School. They sing five services and ten rehearsals most weeks of the year, as well as many special services, performances and recitals important in the life of the Cathedral and the city. Examples include the recent funeral service for Sir Robertson Stewart and the annual Floral Festival. Yes, they're dedicated, but they're also boys, so almost all of them are active members of the school's sports teams and other cultural activities, as well as being required to keep up with their academic work.

Gentlemen: The 12 men consist of four Lay Clerks (professional singers), six Godley Scholars (tertiary students) and a few volunteers. Together the choir sings more than 800 pieces of music a year in a repertoire ranging from 16th Century to contemporary works, with an extensive library of more than 1500 anthems and service settings.

Director of Music

Born and educated in England, Brian Law migrated to Canada in 1965, where he was central to the musical life of Ottawa for over a quarter of a century. He was Music Director of The Ottawa Choral Society, The Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the chamber orchestra, Thirteen Strings. At his farewell concert he was awarded the freedom of the City and the Brian Law Opera Scholarship was established in his honour. While in Canada, he quickly established and extended his reputation for excellence with the Choir of St Matthew's Church in Ottawa. It was soon acknowledged as the finest men and boys' choir in Canada.

In 1991 Brian moved to New Zealand to become Music Director of the Christchurch City Choir. In his new home he has rapidly assumed a similar significant artistic role. He regularly conducts for the Christchurch Symphony and conducted many performances` for Canterbury Opera .He will conduct Southern Opera `s production of Carmen in October . He has recorded with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia and has conducted both of these orchestras for seasons for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Brian has been this Cathedral's Director of Music since 2004 and has taken the Choir to world-class standards of performance, as well as achieving critical acclaim for its annual programme.