Auckland Boys' Choir is battling

The Auckland Boys’ Choir, which has been running for 55 years, needs new singers.

It saw a post-Covid drop in numbers, and at its lowest point only had nine members. The choir now faces potential closure if it can't get anyone to sign up to sing.

But choir manager, Tejas Lamb, who sang in the choir himself as a young boy, is determined to bring the choir back to full strength.

The choir is for boys with unbroken voices ages between eight and 13, he told RNZ’s Culture 101.

“We aren't a full male choir that has a soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We just have the two top parts, so soprano and alto, or treble 1 and treble 2.

“So it's that really rich boys' choir sound, which is so valued across the globe.”

For centuries across the world boy’s choirs have been the top level, he says, The Vienna Boys’ Choir and King's College, Cambridge being two famous examples.

And while many boys’ choirs are becoming children’s choirs and inviting girls, the all-boys choir has a rich cultural legacy to uphold, he says.

“Boys' choirs are a dying breed, but they are still so relevant in today's society.

“And the Auckland Boys' Choir, with 55 years of history behind us, really seeks to uphold that legacy.”

The Auckland choir sings traditional repertoire alongside more modern pieces, he says.

“We sing all types of music, ranging from old, sacred pieces, which for these boys, that was their history. That is who the music was written for.

“But we also take modern pieces into our repertoire. Think songs from Billy Elliot, for example.”

The choir does audition, although these are relaxed, he says, designed to encourage boys to get involved.

“We do a few oral tests, a little bit of singing, just the national anthem and the like. Nothing needed to be prepared ahead of time.

“And then we hopefully welcome them into the choir and it's full participation from day one.”

The boys learn many valuable, and transferable, skills, he says.

“The camaraderie that they share between themselves, and when they're performing with their peers and their friends, and learning the music, and being challenged by the music, those are skills that you can't learn anywhere else except in a choir.”

The choir is re-building and now has 20 members, he says.

“Covid changed the way that we worked and how we lived. Across the board, we've seen fewer volunteers and less involvement in social activities. In 2022, our membership dropped to nine boys in the choir. And coming from my time, where we had over 35 boys, that was a real shock.”

Word of mouth, however, is starting to turn things round, and although participation in community organisations has taken a post-Covid hit, music remains as important as ever.

“I think Covid has really showed us how well music can work for meditation and for a relaxing time when the world might seem like it's falling apart.

“It's a very stressed landscape, but music can really help you to transport into a different realm.”